Former Yokohama mayor embroiled in harassment scandal to seek reelection
Former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka resigned on Sept. 7 after a senior city official accused him of power harassment.
Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, 54, intends to seek reelection after stepping down in September due to a harassment scandal, according to sources. Yamanaka is anticipated to formally announce his candidacy at a news conference as early as Monday. The upcoming mayoral election in Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, is scheduled for October 18.
As of now, five individuals have declared their intentions to run for office: Atsumi Harasawa, a lawyer at 59; Atsushi Fukuyama, a company manager at 37; Kazuma Nakatani, a former lawmaker at 43; Yuka Asaka, 46; and Sachiko Fujikawa, the deputy leader of the Japanese Communist Party's Kanagawa branch at 51. Harasawa has the backing of the Liberal Democratic Party's municipal chapter and the Democratic Party for the People's prefectural chapter, while Nakatani receives support from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's prefectural chapter.
Yamanaka's entry into the race is anticipated to intensify the competition. He resigned from his position following allegations of power harassment made by a senior city official. An investigation conducted by an independent team identified seven instances of inappropriate behavior, including derogatory remarks about subordinates.
These allegations prompted calls for his resignation within the Yokohama assembly. Yamanaka was originally elected as Yokohama's mayor in August 2021, having served as a professor at Yokohama City University prior to that. He secured a second term in the previous election, garnering support from the LDP, the CDP, and Komeito.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
