HIROSHIMA —

Hidehiko Yuzaki, a 44-year-old former trade ministry bureaucrat, won a landslide victory in Sunday’s gubernatorial election in Hiroshima Prefecture to replace outgoing Gov. Yuzan Fujita, the local election board said. Backed by Fujita supporters among Liberal Democratic Party members of the prefectural assembly, as well as by members of the Democratic Party of Japan, Yuzaki defeated four other contenders to secure a four-year term in the governor’s office.
   
The other contenders included Anri Kawai, a 36-year-old former prefectural assemblywoman endorsed by LDP assembly members critical of the Fujita administration, as well as by Shizuka Kamei, state minister in charge of postal and financial affairs, who leads the People’s New Party. Yuzaki gained 395,638 votes, while Kawai, the runner-up, garnered 195,623 in the election, in which turnout was 33.71%, according to the election board.

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  terebiko at 11:43 AM JST - 9th November

  Hope he does better than Fujita, but as he was backed by Fujita supporters, I won't hold my breath. Hiroshima Prefecture needs a strong governor who will straighten out the screwed-up finances here. Governor Yuzaki, the ball is in your court.

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