The 2024 Shizuoka Prefecture Gubernatorial Election was an election to elect the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, held on May 26, 2024.
Background.
Outgoing governor Heita Kawakatsu made several gaffes during his governorship. In 2021, the Shizuoka prefectural assembly advised him to resign after he said that the city of Gotemba "only has "koshihikari"" as its local specialty due to the slush fund scandal. In March 2024, he publicly ranked regions within the prefecture based on how "cultured" they were. He later refused to retract the statement claiming it was historically true. During a speech to newly-employed civil servants on 1 April 2024, he made derogatory remarks comparing employees of the prefectural government with "those who sell vegetables, take care of cows or create things." The resulting uproar led to him announcing his resignation on 2 April following the June prefectural assembly. However, he clarified on 3 April that he was resigning due to his opposition to the Chuo Shinkansen maglev route and not for his remarks, which he did not retract, although he apologized "for hurting the feelings of people working in the primary sector." Despite his original intent on resigning after June, he announced he will be resigning on April 10 after several complaints from the prefecture and among its employees. He stated the reason for the early resignation as he succeeded to delay the opening of maglev. He formally submitted his resignation on 10 April, which will become effective on 10 May and triggered an election to be held on 26 May.
Key issues.
Key issues in this election include the Chuo Shinkansen.
The winner, Yasutomo Suzuki, was called a "Maglev Proponent" by Nikkei Asia. The Mayor of Nagoya, a city on the maglev, said "Mr. Suzuki has a deep understanding of industry, so I think he will get the project done quickly."
Results.
Yasutomo Suzuki won the election, garnering 728,500 votes and a 5% margin over his nearest rival, Shinichi Omura, who won 651,013 votes.
References.
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