Politics Hyogo governor re-elected despite harassment claims

Voters in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, have re-elected former governor Saito Motohiko, who previously lost his position following allegations of power harassment and other controversies. Saito triumphed in Sunday's gubernatorial election, defeating six opponents, including former Amagasaki Mayor Inamura Kazumi.

A former official at the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the Osaka prefectural government, Saito first became Hyogo governor in 2021 with backing from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party. The 47-year-old stepped down in September after the prefectural assembly passed a no-confidence motion against him, citing the harassment allegations. During his re-election campaign, Saito highlighted his accomplishments in administrative and financial reforms as governor. He also promised to continue focusing on policies to support younger generations and address rising living costs.

Saito also courted support through social media. He said after the election that he had not been much of a social media figure, but this time he greatly felt that support for him proliferated through the platforms.




Tobias Harris argues that Saito's comeback signals the rise of a new breed of Japanese populists. They use social media to reach voters who might otherwise stay out of politics and have turned their backs on established parties.

Saito's re-election has, for the first time, shown the influence of social media in mobilising political support. Meanwhile, a support group for Inamura Kazumi, the candidate who lost in the recent Hyogo Prefecture gubernatorial election, has lodged a criminal complaint with the Hyogo Prefectural Police, alleging that its X accounts were unjustly suspended due to false reports during the campaign.

The group, which backed former Amagasaki Mayor Inamura Kazumi, created an X account on 5 November in preparation for last Sunday's election. However, the account was suspended the following day and remained inactive until the day before the election.

A second X account, launched on 12 November, was also suspended about an hour after its creation and has yet to be reinstated. The group suspects that anonymous individuals submitted false reports of rule violations to the platform operator, intending to disrupt Inamura's campaign. The criminal complaint was filed on Friday.

Susumu Tsukui, a senior group member, said at a news conference that the group did not violate the platform's rules. However, Tsukui argued that the account suspensions "had a major impact on the election." The election was held after Saito Motohiko was ousted from the governor's office following a no-confidence vote by the prefectural assembly over his alleged power harassment and other problematic behaviour. Nevertheless, Saito won re-election. Inamura, backed by some prefectural assembly members from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, came in second.

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In Nikkei Asia, Linda Sieg argues that Saito's re-election, the "Hyogo Shock," is occurring at a time when Japanese voters are becoming increasingly sceptical of traditional media outlets and established political parties. At the same time, a right-wing online community of YouTubers and podcasters is growing in popularity. Although not as developed as the one in the United States, experts believe this online ecosystem provides an alternative news source for voters, especially those disillusioned with mainstream media.

"Hyogo certainly seems to have been a wake-up call for those who believed that this kind of influence over election results couldn't happen here," said Robert Fahey, an assistant professor at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study in Tokyo. Saito's re-election "has been shocking to people partially because he won but also ... because it was a misinformation campaign, straight out," Fahey said, noting that specific conspiracy theories and falsehoods were peddled primarily in an online ecosystem rather than Saito's official campaign. The "Hyogo Shock" also coincides with national political uncertainty after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition, battered by scandals and voter frustration over inflation, lost its lower house majority in October and now worries about its fate in an upper house poll next year.

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The controversy surrounding Governor Saito, elected in 2021 with support from the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, began in March when a government official accused him of bullying employees and accepting bribes. Saito, dismissing these allegations as defamatory, suspended the whistleblower for three months. Critics argue this action violated Japan's whistleblower protection law. Tragically, the whistleblower was found dead, potentially by suicide, before he could testify to a special investigation panel.

An August survey revealed that nearly 40% of prefectural employees reported witnessing or hearing about the governor's power harassment. In sworn testimony, Saito justified his actions as necessary but expressed regret if anyone was offended. Both the panel investigation and a separate probe are still underway.


Paywall alert:

thomas said:

The controversy surrounding Governor Saito, elected in 2021 with support from the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, began in March when a government official accused him of bullying employees and accepting bribes. Saito, dismissing these allegations as defamatory, suspended the whistleblower for three months. Critics argue this action violated Japan's whistleblower protection law. Tragically, the whistleblower was found dead, potentially by suicide, before he could testify to a special investigation panel.

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If ever there was a recurring theme in political K-drama.
All jokes aside, how is someone like him even till eligible for public office? Taking bribes should be enough to get you thrown out for life.

I believe he is still being investigated; no proof of corruption has been presented so far. However, he seems inclined towards harassing his staff, has a heightened sense of entitlement, and likely caused the suicide of a subordinate. We live in times when convicted felons become presidents, so it's not surprising to see an abusive bully be re-elected governor. I blame social media.

Takeuchi Hideaki, a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member who last year investigated documents accusing Governor Saito Motohiko of power harassment, has passed away. He is suspected to have died by suicide, marking the second such death linked to the controversial governor.

Social media posts naming another prefectural assembly member of the investigative committee may have triggered his resignation. Hideaki Takeuchi resigned as an assembly member on Nov. 18, the day after the gubernatorial election, citing "personal reasons." Hidekazu Ueno, secretary-general of the Hyogo Citizens Union, a political group to which Takeuchi belonged, said various social media posts about Takeuchi influenced his decision to resign, considering the impact on his family and his own physical and mental health. "The spread of verbal and online abuse placed a heavy emotional burden on his family, and I was told his family urged him to step away from politics," Ueno said.

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