Yokohama anti-IR mayoral candidate launches campaign

Akiko Fujimura has confirmed she will run for mayor in Yokohama City. The elections are scheduled for August 22.

Japan.- Akiko Fujimura, the representative director of an animal welfare group, has confirmed that she will run for mayor in Yokohama City.

Akiko Fujimura (47) is the representative director of the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She will run for mayor as an independent candidate.

Previously a supporter of current mayor Fumiko Hayashi in the 2017 elections, Fujimura began to show interest in running herself after Hayashi issued a pro-IR promotional material.

According to local media, Fujimura has declared three main policies: 

• The creation of an “Animal Police” force that would crack down on animal cruelty.
• The immediate cancellation of the city’s IR project.
• The upgrade of the city’s disaster prevention and management infrastructure.

In February, Yokohama City set aside JPY360m (US$3.4m) of its draft budget for the 2021 financial year for the city’s planned integrated resort.

Masataka Ota is another anti-IR mayoral candidate. A member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, he has expressed his stance against Yokohama participating in a bid for an integrated resort licence many times.

Hayashi has not yet clarified if she will run for reelection. It has been speculated that she may decide not to run because of health reasons.