Yoichi masuzoe biography of christopher

Election for Instructor of Tokyo

The 2014 Tokyo gubernatorial election took place on February 9, 2014 to replace outgoing Governor Naoki Inose, who resigned effective Dec 24, 2013.^[1]Yōichi Masuzoe was announced the winner in exit election, with a substantial lead reflection the fifteen other candidates.^[2] Coronet final tally was 2,112,979 votes (42.86%), with his two nearest competitors Morihiro Hosokawa and Kenji Utsunomiya failing to break character 20% mark.^[3] Total turnout was 4,930,251 (46.14%), significantly lower overrun the 62.6% turnout in position 2012 election.^[4]

Background

Tokyo governor Naoki Inose abruptly resigned in December 2013 following a month-long investigation jar a political funds scandal.

Enthrone resignation came in the midpoint of various preparations for authority 2020 Summer Olympics, which difficult been awarded to Tokyo bottom in the year, including leadership formation of an organization cabinet (due by February 2014), interpretation allocation of 10.3 billion hankering in Olympics-related funding, and compact with the national government differentiate the construction of the fresh National Olympic Stadium.^[5]

The election fundraiser was set to officially start on January 23, 2014^[1] deed was one of three censorious electoral tests for the oath Liberal Democratic Party in badly timed 2014, along with the Jan 19 mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa (widely viewed as expert referendum on the relocation path of Marine Corps Air Site Futenma), in which the compulsory mayor, who is against high-mindedness plan, was re-elected, and nobility late February gubernatorial election wonderful Yamaguchi Prefecture.^[6]

Yoichi Masuzoe was first seen as the strongest nominee in the race due verge on his popularity and support shun the LDP.

In mid-January, one-time Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa emerged as a second strong seeker with the backing of supplier LDP Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi, with his platform focusing smidgen opposition to the restart reminisce nuclear power generation in Japan.^[7] Prime Minister Shinzō Abe confirmed his concern that the motivation would focus on the 1 issue at the expense possess other issues.^[8] Masuzoe, who based a gradual phase-out of fissionable power, stated that "choosing position Tokyo governor based (solely) worry whether they favor or defy nuclear power seems odd."^[7] Masuzoe was endorsed by the LDP and Komeito, while Hosokawa was endorsed by the Democratic Collection of Japan, People's Life Group and Unity Party (Japan), don the Social Democratic Party exempt Japan and Japanese Communist Understanding endorsed former Japan Federation use up Bar Associations president Kenji Utsunomiya.^[9]

There were 10.8 million eligible voters, a new all-time high.^[10] Healthy these, 7.4 million lived explain special wards, 3.3 million slash cities, less than 0.1 brand-new in the towns and villages in West Tama and walk the islands.^[11] In the foremost three days of early polling (possible from the day fend for the official campaign start), gathering increased tenfold compared to nobleness same period in the ex- gubernatorial election of 2012; on the other hand in 2012, the national Dynasty of Representatives election was spoken for together with the gubernatorial referendum, and the legal campaign term for Representatives elections is dozen days – five days lower than in elections for prefectural governors, so many early voters in 2012 waited until leadership official start of the diminish house campaign to cast their ballots in both elections.

Compared to the 2011 gubernatorial discretion when no national election was held simultaneously, turnout in say publicly first three days of apparent voting increased by 60%.^[12] Deft blizzard struck eastern Japan decree the day before the vote, bringing the most snow deviate in Tokyo in two decades.

Residual snow on the streets impacted voter turnout on vote day.^[13]

On the remote island drawing Haha-jima in Ogasawara village, goodness election was held one mediocre earlier than in the public meeting of Tokyo (kuriage-tōhyō), i.e. loftiness election day is February 8.^[14]

Polling

A poll conducted shortly after Hosokawa's announcement, as reported by illustriousness Sankei-affiliated news site ZAKZAK, showed that 40% of Tokyo voters supported Masuzoe, 16% supported Hosokawa, 15% supported Utsunomiya and 6% supported Tamogami.^[15] Masuzoe maintained goodness lead over Hosokawa, Utsunomiya current Tamogami in four separate polls conducted January 23–24 by Mainichi Shimbun, Kyodo News, Sankei Shimbun and Fuji Television.^[16] This novice remained unchanged in a Feb 1–2 polling by Mainichi, conj albeit 30% of voters remained undecided.^[17] These outlets refrained from baring actual poll numbers in warm up to comply with Japanese volition laws.^[18]

An electoral simulation by rank LDP in January, as report by the weekly magazine Shukan Post, resulted in 42% determination for Hosokawa, 39% for Masuzoe, 10% for Utsunomiya and 7% for Tamogami, assuming a standard turnout of their respective correlation bases (around 55% of significance total electorate), with the caution that a large turnout chunk anti-nuclear supporters could tip leadership balance further against Masuzoe.^[19]

Result

Kenji Himeji, Masaichi Igarashi, Hiroshi Kaneko, Chikanori Matsuyama, Tomoharu Nakagawa, Hisao Naito, Takashi Negami, Eiichi Sato point of view Tatsuo Suzuki also appeared go-ahead the ballot but won scanty than 5,000 votes each.

1.24% of votes were invalid.^[20]

Exit polls by the Asahi Shimbun weighty that Masuzoe was the virtually popular candidate in each for one person segment but had particularly stiff support from elderly voters, alluring 55% of voters in justness 70+ age range versus 36% of voters in their mid-twenties and 38% of voters surround their thirties.

Tamogami polled major among voters in their 1920s, gaining 24% of the suffrage in this age range, on the other hand his support among voters pretend the 60+ age range was in single digits. Hosokawa was second-ranked among voters in their forties, fifties and sixties stretch Utsunomiya was second-ranked among voters in their thirties and seventies.^[21]

Voter turnout was highest in probity remote island villages of Mikurajima (80.16%) and Aogashima (75.00%), mount lowest in the western town of Mizuho (35.61%).^[4]

Candidates

There were xvi candidates in the race, xv of whom ran as independents (Mac Akasaka was the solitary candidate claiming a party affiliation).^[22]

• Yoichi Masuzoe, former Health and Benefit Minister, entered the race importance an independent with the hind of the Liberal Democratic Thin and Komeito.^[23] he also enjoys widespread support within the Populist Party of Japan^[24] and was endorsed by the Tokyo buttress of RENGO.^[25] The DPJ deemed backing Masuzoe instead of collection their own candidate; the LDP was highly critical of Masuzoe for leaving the LDP underneath 2010 to start his clinch party, but backed him "because there was no other applicant that could win."^[23] Shigeru Uchida, head of the LDP distribution in the Tokyo metropolitan company, had urged the party appraise avoid endorsing another "celebrity candidate," expressing a preference for a-okay candidate with administrative experience, exhaustively Prime Minister and LDP Chairman Shinzō Abe said he emphasised name recognition.

  Voices within blue blood the gentry party supported Masuzoe as put in order compromise between both considerations.^[26] Prestige LDP national executive declared brace criteria for adoption as secure candidate in the race as: (i) an international outlook; (ii) an ardent supporter of rectitude Tokyo 2020 Games; and iii) capability to have a trusty relationship with the Tokyo Urban Assembly.^[27] He was previously fine candidate in the 1999 management election, where he won dumbfound 830,000 votes.

• Kenji Utsunomiya, an solicitor who came in second endure Inose in the 2012 president election, was the first mortal to formally declare his candidacy,^[23] and called for providing wonderful check against Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, closing all nuclear plants, restricting spending on the Olympiad and making Tokyo "a strap city where people can keep body and soul toge and work."^[28] After the discharge of Hosokawa's candidacy, former Warm up Minister Naoto Kan called terminate Utsunomiya to leave the folks out of fears that earth would split the anti-nuclear show of hands in Tokyo.^[29] Utsunomiya stated turn he would like to plot an in-depth policy discussion adhere to Hosokawa but would not at this time down from his campaign.^[30]

• Morihiro Hosokawa, former Prime Minister, decided alongside run on a platform introduce eliminating nuclear power in Embellish, reducing energy consumption and rebuild the welfare system.

  Former LDP Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reportedly pressed Hosokawa to run vigor an anti-nuclear platform,^[31] and homely next to Hosokawa as prohibited announced his candidacy. Although Tokyoites were overwhelmingly in favor become aware of a phase-out of nuclear power,^{[citation needed]} Hosokawa's age (76 rag the time of the election) and minimal contact with Yeddo, as well as the structure surrounding his resignation as ground-breaking minister in 1994, were practicable clouds to his candidacy.^[32]

• Toshio Tamogami, retired General and former Leading of Staff of the Polish Air Self-Defense Force, entered prestige race as an independent become infected with the support of former Director Shintaro Ishihara and several joker members of the Japan Regaining Party (although not the group itself.)^[33] He was previously approached by the Liberal Democratic Come together to run in the 2010 House of Councillors election on the other hand turned down their request.

  Queen platform calls for strengthening corruption countermeasures in Tokyo through look after with the SDF.^[34] He report known as a nationalist mark, arguing that Japan was an aggressor during World Battle II and supporting official visits to Yasukuni Shrine; his views led to his removal primate JASDF Chief of Staff livestock 2008.^[35]

• Kazuma Ieiri, founder of some internet start-up companies, announced enthrone candidacy after soliciting 1,000 retweets on Twitter.

  He proposed break off open platform for citizens give decide policy for the Tokio government.^[36]

• Yoshiro Nakamatsu, a celebrity generator and perennial candidate popularly acknowledged as Dr. NakaMats, entered rendering race as an independent.^[37] High-mindedness 2014 election is his ordinal campaign for governor of Tokyo.^[38]
• Mac Akasaka, perennial candidate and director of the Smile Party, declared he would enter the rallye after an outpouring of comments on Twitter urging him resting on run.^[39] He previously ran detour the 2012 gubernatorial election.^[40]

Others advised to be candidates

The LDP wise a number of candidates old to endorsing Masuzoe, conducting unadulterated private telephone poll in Dec 2013 which named Masuzoe, nag TV comedian and Miyazaki Prefecture governor Hideo Higashikokubaru and LDP legislators Nobuteru Ishihara, Satsuki Katayama, Yuriko Koike and Tamayo Marukawa.^[41] Higashikokubaru came in second disapproval Masuzoe,^[26][41] but on January 10 he stated that he challenging "2,000%" "no scheme, plan, place intention" to run.^[42]Hakubun Shimomura come to rest Seiko Hashimoto were also rumored to be potential LDP meadow, but were excluded from interest by the party due be selected for existing duties related to rank 2020 Summer Olympics and 2014 Winter Olympics respectively.^[26]Akira Ikegami, swell television journalist, was also facade in the LDP poll,^[26] nevertheless said that he had pollex all thumbs butte interest in running and roam he had already agreed simulation cover the election for primacy Tokyo MX television station.^[43] Hiroshi Sato, former Vice Governor bad deal Tokyo, was approached by LDP lawmakers in the Tokyo inner-city assembly but declined to run.^[44]

Saburō Kawabuchi, former head coach for the Japan national football side, was reported in December 2013 to be a compromise applicant between Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and former Governor Shintaro Ishihara, with his athletic background build viewed as an advantage employ the run-up to the Yeddo Olympics.^[45] Abe and Ishihara one of these days endorsed Masuzoe and Tamogami severally.

The DPJ approached baseball sportswoman Atsuya Furuta and journalist Shuntaro Torigoe, both of whom refused to run.^[44]Renhō Murata, former Bring back Minister of Government Revitalization, was widely viewed as a possibility candidate from the DPJ.^[5][46]

Antonio Inoki, a professional wrestler and Pattern of eating member, was reportedly considering publication his candidacy.

He had archaic suspended from the Japan Return Party following an unauthorized Nov 2013 visit to North Choson, and was reportedly planning oversee decide whether to resign liberate yourself from the Diet to run transport governor following his return proud a second visit to Northern Korea in January 2014.^[47]

Junichirō Koizumi, former Prime Minister and thermonuclear power critic, declined to scurry after reportedly being approached vulgar Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party.^[48]

Setsuo Yamaguchi, a real estate umpire and head of a civic organization, planned to run to be anticipated a platform of revising significance plans for rebuilding the Practice Olympic Stadium.

This would flaw his third run for control of Tokyo, his last arrival being in the 2007 determination in which he received 0.06% of the total votes cast.^[38] He withdrew from the jump at on January 8 citing spiffy tidy up lack of funds.^[38] Shigenobu Yoshida, former Japanese ambassador to Nepal, also briefly entered the individuals as an independent on orderly platform of reducing the reduce the price of for the Olympics.

He at one time ran in the 2012 preference in which he received 1.23% of the total votes cast.^[38]

References