Japan Press Weekly

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2015 March 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

Osaka’s businesspeople unite to scrap Mayor Hashimoto’s ‘metropolitan Osaka’ plan

Businesspeople in Osaka City on March 10 set up a group with the aim to block Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto Toru’s plan to create a “metropolitan Osaka” administration.

In the group’s inaugural meeting held on the same day, 100 people, including city assemblypersons of the Liberal Democratic and Japanese Communist parties and a pro-Democrat Party political group, participated.

Group’s leader Asano Hideya, who operates an event planning company, once supported Hashimoto and encouraged him to run for the 2008 Osaka gubernatorial election.

In the meeting, Asano showed his remorse for standing behind Hashimoto on the occasion of the governor race and expressed his determination, saying, “Let’s deliver a resounding verdict of disapproval to candidates of Hashimoto’s party, the Japan Innovation Party, in the nationwide local elections in April. Let’s increase our efforts to achieve major public opposition in a referendum on the “Osaka metropolis” plan scheduled to be held on May 17.”

The group plans to organize a rally on March 28 in order to attract widespread public support for their objection to the Hashimoto’s plan.

JCP Osaka City Assembly members’ group secretary general Yamanaka Tomoko delivered a speech in solidarity. “The JCP will work hard to put a stop to the mayor’s outrageous plan,” she said.

Past related articles:
> Hashimoto reelected with opposition parties boycotting [March 24&25, 2014]
> Japan Restoration Party candidate defeated in Sakai mayoral election [September 30 & October 1, 2013]