Step-down-and-run Politics

Too strange is the Japanese version of democracy. The Mayor of Osaka City, Toru Hashimoto, decided to step down and run for the election fulfilling the empty seat produced by his resignation. Although Hashimoto appeals that the election is for confirming support for him, it costs ¥600 million, which will be paid by tax money. There is no guarantee that his agenda will be promoted by the reconfirmation of public support for him. People in Osaka will be happy enough to watch that political show spending their money.

Followed by competitive sentiment of the residents, Hashimoto has been enthusiastic in making Osaka as a big metropolitan as paralleled with Tokyo. To promote his Osaka Metropolitan Initiative, he needs to get approval from both assemblies of Osaka City and Osaka prefecture. When he asked them to choose one draft out of the four for actual construction of the system of future Osaka metropolitan government, the assemblies rejected the proposal with mail leadership of Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. Being furious on that time buying manner of the assemblies, Hashimoto decided the showdown asking the people which would be right.

The election will be held next month. It is possible for Hashimoto to run for it. The term of next mayor will be ending in December 2015, the rest of Hashimoto’s term. Strange thing is that there will be no change in structure of the assemblies, even if Hashimoto will be reelected with more supports than ever. For Hashimoto, target is New Komeito that has been supportive for Hashimoto with expectation of getting votes in elections. Now, New Komeito is skeptical about the party Hashimoto co-resides, Japan Restoration Party, that is taking a standpoint of ultra right.

Hashimoto said he would get out of politics, if he fails. The Governor of Osaka and Secretary General of JRP, Ichiro Matsui, will then follow Hashimoto. If the governor resigns depending on the result of a mayoral election, it will be strange enough, too. A message Hashimoto raised to the voters would be “Well, you guys need to choose new metropolitan Osaka or old poor Osaka,” meanwhile the choice between him and old politics.”

Political decline urges Hashimoto to this eccentric political behavior. After the scandal of gaffe on comfort women last year, popularity of Hashimoto has been staying in low level. He expects V-shape revitalization with the success of Osaka Metropolitan Initiative. It will be the people in Osaka who decide whether such a kind of populism is still needed in their community.