Japan Press Weekly

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2018 October 17 - 23 [POLITICS]

JCP-backed candidate wins in Oyamazaki Town mayor race

In the mayoral race in Kyoto’s Oyamazaki Town on October 21, with the backing of the Japanese Communist Party, Maekawa Hikaru was elected. In addition, in the town assembly election on the same day, all four JCP candidates won.

Maekawa received 3,858 votes or 50.9% of the total, beating his incumbent rival Yamamoto Keiichi who was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, Komei Party, Democratic Party for the People, and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The voter turnout rate was 59.8%

In the election campaign, Maekawa criticized Mayor Yamamoto for turning his back on people’s demands, by citing the fact that Yamamoto disregarded a petition signed by 11,000 people opposing cuts in spending on education and childcare. Maekawa promised to cancel the planned closure of the three public childcare centers. Pledging to create a people-centric town government, Maekawa attracted support from a wide range of voters.

In the assembly race in which 15 candidates contested 12 seats, the JCP promised to block the closure of public day-nurseries and thoroughly investigate the ballooning costs for a public works project. The number of the JCP seats increased by one from the pre-election strength of three. the JCP’s share of seats in the assembly stands at 33.3%, the highest JCP percentage in Japan.

Past related articles:
> JCP secures pre-election strength in local assembly elections in Okinawa [September 11, 2018]
> All 15 JCP candidates win in 5 local elections [September 4, 2018]