Kyoto Gov. Nishiwaki wins third term

KYOTO –

Kyoto Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki, 70, won a third term in a gubernatorial election on Sunday, defeating his rival candidates, Nobuo Fujii and Satoshi Hamada.

Nishiwaki, an independent candidate, was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party for the People, the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito.

Voter turnout was 37.43%, against 37.58% in the previous election in 2022.

Nishiwaki, former vice minister of the Reconstruction Agency, highlighted his achievements in the past two terms, such as disaster reduction measures and child-rearing support. He also pledged to take measures to revitalize the prefecture’s economy.

Fujii, supported by the Japanese Communist Party, is a 69-year-old university professor emeritus, while Hamada, 48, formerly served as a lawmaker in the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of parliament.