Yokohama mayor to step down amid claims over bullying subordinates

Yokohama's mayor, Takeharu Yamanaka, intends to resign from his position following allegations of bullying and verbal abuse towards subordinates, according to a source close to the situation. The announcement came during a gathering with his supporters, where Yamanaka, 53, expressed his decision to step down. Initially, he had stated his refusal to quit, but mounting pressure from city assembly members and constituents compelled him to consider resignation.

The Yokohama city government announced that Yamanaka will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. to provide further details. A senior city official, who was once in charge of the human resources department, publicly accused Yamanaka in a January press conference of subjecting him to verbal abuse. A third-party investigation report released in July confirmed that Yamanaka had indeed abused his authority multiple times by bullying and verbally assaulting subordinates, using derogatory terms like "human scum."

Despite apologizing and accepting the report's findings at a city assembly general affairs committee meeting earlier this month, Yamanaka continued to insist on staying in office. He stated his commitment to restoring citizens' trust, but the allegations against him have cast a shadow over his leadership.