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Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Osaka Gov Ichiro Matsui, who co-founded the opposition Japan Innovation Party, said Sunday they will not run in next month's lower house election.
The two men had indicated earlier that they were thinking of running in the Dec 14 election.
Hashimoto, in particular, had been critical of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party and its junior partner, the Komeito Party, after they opposed his plan to merge the prefectural and municipal governments of Osaka.
Hashimoto's proposal was voted down last month by both the prefectural and municipal assemblies in Osaka.
Hashimoto said Sunday that he and Matsui would concentrate their energy on next year's unified local elections in Osaka and then make another attempt at the merger plan.
© Japan Today
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CrazyJoe
Could be off topic but it often has been said that Japanese prefectures have only 30 per cent autonomy, with the national government retaining 70 per cent, directly or indirectly, in determining prefectural government policies.
gaijinfo
Tap on the shoulder.
All planned.
harvey pekar
Awww, shucks. I was eager to see Hashimoto make everyone in the house go through a tattoo check.
nath
"Awww, shucks" is right! Too bad Japan's own Sarah Palin clone ain't going to bless us with his charm, wisdom and wit this election. Hope Hashimoto isn't out too long because no matter what he has to say, it makes for a good laugh!
Yubaru
Of course not, this is really no news. They have more power right now as leaders of their particular governments, in the Diet they would be in the opposition and have little voice as their party controls a handful of seats at best.
Plus the chance also exists that they could lose too, and to run for a different office would mean having to resign from the one they are in now.
Bird in the hand.....
smithinjapan
Of course he's not going to run! When Hashimoto lost the election, whom would he be able to rant at, complain about, and threaten? Instead, he'll stay here in Osaka and think of new ways he can force through a merger that no one here wants.
JoeBigs
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto
Glad that he isn't to try taint this election, but I wouldn't put anything past this nutbag. People are starting to realize that he isn't all that he claims to be.
So, I am glad that he and his insane leftists friends aren't joining in this election.
toshiko
Both of them to like to be a boss in Ohsaka Prefecture than one of many members in Diet.
Yoshimi Onishi
Pity they have decided not to run for the next Lower House election! I'd been hoping we would be rid of them from Osaka area at least. Even if they got elected to the Lower House, they wouldn't be wielding as much power as they have been doing in the area, doing much less damage. And very likely their stupid plan to merge Osaka City with Osaka Pref would have soon been forgotten. One good thing that has come out of all this is that at least they are now having a much harder time convincing voters in Osaka that their top interest is still in Osaka, which of course is another blatant lie.
toshiko
@JoeBigsNOV. 24, 2014 - 10:39PM JST Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto
Glad that he isn't to try taint this election, but I wouldn't put anything past this nutbag. People are starting to realize that he isn't all that he claims to be.
So, I am glad that he and his insane leftists friends aren't joining in this election.
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Both of them are leaders of Osaaka Ishin no Kai that is an opposite of lefites such as JCP and JSP.
They are kicked out from Tokyo Ishin ni Kai quite while ago.