2011 Japanese unified local elections


The 17th unified local elections in Japan took place in April 2011. In the first phase on April 10, 2011 12 governors, 41 prefectural assemblies as well as five mayors and 15 assemblies in cities designated by government ordinance were elected. In the second phase on April 24, 2011 mayors and/or assemblies in hundreds of cities, cities of Tokyo, towns and villages were up for election. Additionally, a by-election for the National Diet was held in Aichi on April 24.
Among the elections that attracted national attention in 2011 were the gubernatorial races in Tokyo and Kanagawa and the prefectural assembly elections in Aichi and Osaka where new local parties threatened the position of the established parties.

Background

The nationally ruling Democratic Party of Japan under the leadership of Naoto Kan had a weak position in prefectures and municipalities. In February 2011, the Kan cabinet faced extremely low approval ratings, a "twisted Diet" with opposition control of the upper house and a possible government shutdown in 2011 if it fails to get budget-related bills through the Diet for fiscal 2011. It also faced calls for an early general election from the opposition led by the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. In the run-up to the unified local elections the Democrats lost or even failed to contest several high-profile elections including the Fukuoka mayoral election on November 14, 2010, the Okinawa gubernatorial election on November 28, 2010 and the so-called "triple vote" in Aichi on February 6, 2011.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March, prefectural and municipal elections in the most affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima and municipal elections in Mito, Ibaraki were temporarily postponed. The elections for governor and assembly of Iwate were held on September 11, 2011. The assembly elections in Miyagi and Fukushima were held in November 2011.

Elections on April 10

Prefectural elections

Elections with national media coverage included the mayoral races in the prefectural capitals Tsu, Nagasaki, Ōita and Takamatsu, in several cities of Tokyo, in the bankrupt city of Yubari, Hokkaidō and in Suita, Ōsaka where Tetsuya Inoue recorded another victory for the Osaka Restoration Association.

Election features by national news media