Mikazuki Wins Second Term as Shiga Governor

June 25, 2018

Otsu, Shiga Pref.- Taizo Mikazuki was elected to a second four-year term as governor of Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, in a one-on-one contest on Sunday.

Mikazuki, 47, overwhelmed Manabu Kondo, 68-year-old professor emeritus of Shiga University who ran as an independent. Mikazuki collected 377,132 votes, against 77,213 votes for Kondo, who was recommended by the Japanese Communist Party.

Mikazuki, also an independent, was backed by the prefectural chapters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Democratic Party for the People and other political forces, as well as a number of organizations.

He attracted support from a broad range of voters by stressing his achievements in the first term, including tourism promotion, and pledging stepped-up efforts to improve residents' health.

Voter turnout stood at 40.62 pct, down steeply from 50.15 pct in the previous election in 2014.

In the 2014 election, Mikazuki declared himself to be a successor to former Governor Yukiko Kada and beat two rival candidates including one backed by the LDP and Komeito. But in the latest poll, the two parties supported Mikazuki, highly evaluating his policy stance of examining the potential effects of Daido River dam project in Otsu, capital of the prefecture.

The central government has suspended the main part of the dam construction project.

Critical of Mikazuki's attitude, Kondo demanded the cancellation of the dam project, but failed to garner enough voter support. Jiji Press