Incumbents Taking Lead in Japan Gubernatorial Races

Tokyo, April 5 (Jiji Press)--Incumbents are taking a lead in all 10 gubernatorial races in Japan in the lead-up to the vote on April 12. The races are part of quadrennial unified local elections in the country. In Hokkaido, incumbent Governor Harumi Takahashi, 61, who is seeking a fourth term, has a lead over freelance newscaster Noriyuki Sato, 65. Takahashi, supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, has the backing of political groups related to agricultural and fisheries cooperatives as well as businesses. In Oita Prefecture, incumbent Governor Katsusada Hirose, 72, is pulling ahead of former Oita Mayor Ban Kugimiya, 67. Hirose, seeking a fourth term, is backed by some labor unions in addition to the LDP and Komeito. Incumbent Governor Shogo Arai, 70, backed by both the ruling and opposition parties, is leading former Ikoma Mayor Makoto Yamashita, 46, in Nara Prefecture. Incumbents are also maintaining a stable lead over challengers in the remaining seven prefectures of Kanagawa, Fukui, Mie, Tottori, Shimane, Tokushima and Fukuoka. END