The Osaka double election results assured the re-election of Yoshimura Hirofumi and Yokoyama Hideyuki as they seek to push for a voter referendum on the Osaka city structure plan.
In a recent double election held on February 8, Yoshimura Hirofumi, the former governor of Osaka, and Yokoyama Hideyuki, the former mayor of Osaka, secured their re-election, reinforcing their mandate to challenge the controversial "Osaka city structure" proposal once more. Despite facing a relatively uneventful election against no major opposition, Yoshimura announced during a press conference that this electoral support indicates a degree of trust from the electorate regarding the re-examination of the city structure.
The "Osaka city structure" plan, which aims to reorganize Osaka City into special districts analogous to the 23 wards of Tokyo, has faced significant opposition in the past, having been rejected in two prior referendums. Yoshimura and Yokoyama’s re-election is seen as a step towards facilitating a new referendum to revisit this contentious issue. Over the course of their new terms, they intend to establish a legal committee to proceed with the detailed design of this proposed reorganization.
However, within Yoshimura's party, the Japan Innovation Party, opinions remain divided and cautious, raising questions about whether they will be able to advance their plans as intended. The ambiguity surrounding the introduction of the new governance structure demonstrates the complexity of urban reform in Japan's political landscape, along with the necessity of navigating public sentiment and party dynamics to achieve progress that has been previously stalled.
