Hideyo Hanazumi (花角 英世, Hanazumi Hideyo, born 22 May 1958) is a Japanese politician serving as the Governor of Niigata Prefecture, following his election in June 2018. Prior to his election, Hanazumi served as a vice commandant in the Japan Coast Guard and as Vice Governor of Niigata.[1]

Governor of Niigata

In the race to become Niigata's governor, Hanazumi was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, in a face-off against opposition-backed candidate Chikako Ikeda. Throughout his campaign, Hanazumi tried to distance himself from the ruling coalition, in a bid to gain support from a wider range of voters. The ruling coalition has faced allegations of favoritism involving two school operators. In the election, Hanazumi defeated Ikeda by a narrow 3.4% margin.[2]

In contrast to the pro-nuclear policies of the LDP and Komeito, Hanazumi vowed to maintain a cautious approach to the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, effectively following the policy of his opposition-supported predecessor.[3]

He was re-elected in the 2022 Niigata gubernatorial election.

References

  1. ^ "Ruling coalition-backed candidate wins in Niigata". NHK World. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  2. ^ Johnston, Eric (10 June 2018). "Victory of LDP-backed candidate in Niigata gubernatorial race likely to give boost to Abe and key ally". Japan Times. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  3. ^ "LDP-backed candidate wins governor's race in Niigata". Asahi Shimbun. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.

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