Politics of Osaka City

Last updated

Politics of Osaka City , as in all municipalities of Japan, takes place in the framework of local autonomy that is guaranteed by chapter 8 of the Constitution and laid out in the Local Autonomy Law. As one of Japan's 20 major cities designated by government ordinance (seirei shitei toshi), Osaka City has some administrative responsibilities that are handled by the prefectures in ordinary municipalities and is subdivided into wards.

Contents

The administration is headed by a mayor directly elected by the people every four years in first-past-the-post elections. Enacting and amending city ordinances, passing the budget and approving important administrative appointments, including the vice-mayors and the treasurer, are handled by the city assembly that is directly elected by the people every four years by single-non transferable vote. As in all prefectures and municipalities, citizens may initiate chokusetsu seikyū ("direct demands"), i.e. mayor and assembly are subject to recall referendums, and the people can influence policies directly via petitions and plebiscites.

Osaka City is the prefectural capital of Osaka and Japan's second largest incorporated city after Yokohama, Kanagawa. Political debate in Osaka City has in recent years been dominated by the Osaka Metropolis plan of former Osaka governor and current Osaka City mayor Tōru Hashimoto and his Osaka Restoration Association. Under the plan, Osaka City and Osaka's other designated city, Sakai City, would be abolished, subdivided into special wards that have a status as municipalities but leave some municipal tasks and revenues to the prefectural administration. As mayor, Hashimoto has set up an office to prepare for the unification of city and prefectural administration.

Historical background

As one of Japan's three most important cities (the "three capitals", santo: Tokyo City, Osaka City and Kyoto City), wards (ku) as subdivisions of the city were set up in 1878 and are thereby older than the city as a modern administrative unit itself, and when (albeit limited) local autonomy was introduced for other municipalities in the 1880s, autonomy rights in Tokyo City, Osaka City and Kyoto City were limited by a special imperial decree: The governor of Osaka also took the role of mayor of Osaka City and there was no independent city executive. After the decree had been lifted in 1898, the administration evolved as in other major cities of Japan. Unlike Tokyo City, Osaka City was not dissolved by the central government in World War II. In 1947, the U.S. drafted constitution and the Local Autonomy Law created the current legal framework of local autonomy for the city. In 1956, it became one of the first five "designated major cities".

National representation

Osaka City is covered by six of Osaka's 19 electoral districts for the House of Representatives. Osaka's 1st through 5th districts only consist of wards of Osaka city, the 6th districts covers the Asahi and Tsurumi wards but also extends into other areas of Osaka, namely Moriguchi City and Kadoma City.

Prefectural representation

As in all designated cities, Osaka City's wards serve as electoral districts for the Osaka Prefectural Assembly. Most are single- or two-member districts. Together they elect 33 of the 109 members of the assembly. [1]

Mayor

Osaka City's current mayor is Tōru Hashimoto who had resigned as Osaka governor in 2011 to run in the mayoral election against incumbent Kunio Hiramatsu. Hashimoto won a clear victory even though Hiramatsu was supported by the established parties including the Japanese Communist Party who had for the first time since 1963 not nominated their own mayoral candidate to prevent Hashimoto's alleged "fascist, dictatorial" policies. [2] As mayor, Hashimoto supports the implementation of the Osaka Metropolis plan, opposes unions [3] [4] particularly the unions of public sector workers (local public servants union, teachers union, transportation workers union), and has taken an anti-nuclear stance in the energy policy debate after the earthquake in 2011. While Hashimoto's reformism is popular among his supporters not only in the city or the prefecture but nationwide (where he and his party threaten to contest elections if the national Diet obstructs his reforms), opponents see him as a populist and criticize his leadership style as authoritarian, [5] [6] also referred to as "Hashism" (ハシズム). [7] [8]

Mayoral elections had been held as part of unified regional elections since 1947 until 1971 when Kaoru Chūma's death caused an early election.

Previous independent mayors of Osaka City (for the governors of the prefecture who also had served as mayors of the prefectural capital before 1898, see the List of governors of Osaka Prefecture): [9]

  1. Tahee Tamura, 1898–1901,
  2. Sadakichi Tsuruhara, 1901–1905,
  3. Shigetake Yamashita, 1905–1909,
  4. Shunpei Uemura, 1910–1912,
  5. Kaneyuki Kimotsuke, 1913,
  6. Shirō Ikegami, 1913–1923,
  7. Hajime Seki, 1923–1935,
  8. Takeo Kagami, 1935–1936,
  9. Muneji Sakama, 1936–1945,
  10. Mitsuji Nakai, 1945–1946,
  11. Hiroo Kondō (I–S), 1 term, 1947–1951, the first mayor after the introduction of direct popular election,
  12. Mitsuji Nakai (I), 3 terms, 1951–1963
  13. Kaoru Chūma (I–S, JCP, DSP), 3 terms, 1963–1971 (died in office),
  14. Yasushi Ōshima (I–L, Kōmeitō, DSP, additionally Socialist support in his third and fourth elections), 4 terms, 1971–1987,
  15. Masaya Nishio, 2 terms, 1987–1995,
  16. Takafumi Isomura (I), 2 terms, 1995–2003,
  17. Jun'ichi Seki (I, Liberal Democratic and Kōmeitō support in the 2005 and 2007 elections), 2 terms, 2003–2005 (resigned) and 2005–2007,
  18. Kunio Hiramatsu (I–D, PNP, additionally Liberal Democratic, Kōmeitō and JCP support in the 2011 election), 1 term, 2007–2011.

Council

The Osaka City Council (as in some other major cities shikai, not shigikai) has 86 members who are elected by single non-transferable vote every four years in unified regional elections. The wards serve as electoral districts, each elects between two and six council members. In the 2011 elections, Tōru Hashimoto's Osaka Restoration Assembly became strongest party in the council, at the same time also winning a plurality of seats in neighbouring Sakai City and a majority in the Osaka Assembly.

The current composition of the assembly is as follows (as of October 23, 2017): [10]

Composition of the Osaka City Council
Parliamentary groupSeats
Osaka Restoration Association (Ōsaka Ishin no Kai, "Ōsaka renewal assembly")33
Liberal Democratic Party 20
Kōmeitō ("Justice Party")19
Japanese Communist Party 9
Go OSAKA 1
Osaka Abe 1
Total83

The current assembly president is Masahiko Yamashita (Ōsaka Ishin, Yodogawa ward electoral district), the vice president is Naoki Akashi (Kōmeitō, Joto ward). [11]

Related Research Articles

Prefectures of Japan Overview of the prefectures of Japan

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, which rank immediately below the national government and form the country's first level of jurisdiction and administrative division. They include 43 prefectures proper, two urban prefectures, one "circuit" or "territory" and one metropolis. In 1868, the Meiji Fuhanken sanchisei administration created the first prefectures to replace the urban and rural administrators in the parts of the country previously controlled directly by the shogunate and a few territories of rebels/shogunate loyalists who had not submitted to the new government such as Aizu/Wakamatsu. In 1871, all remaining feudal domains (han) were also transformed into prefectures, so that prefectures subdivided the whole country. In several waves of territorial consolidation, today's 47 prefectures were formed by the turn of the century. In many instances, these are contiguous with the ancient ritsuryō provinces of Japan.

Special wards of Tokyo special form of municipalities in Honshu, Japan

Special wards are a special form of municipalities in Japan under the 1947 Local Autonomy Law. They are city-level wards: primary subdivisions of a prefecture with municipal autonomy largely comparable to other forms of municipalities.

Tokyo City Former municipality in Japan

Tokyo City was a municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo-fu which existed from 1 May 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on 1 July 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by the Special Wards of Tokyo. The new merged government became what is now Tokyo, also known as the Tokyo Metropolis, or, ambiguously, Tokyo Prefecture.

The Japanese political process has three types of elections: general elections to the House of Representatives held every four years, elections to the House of Councillors held every three years to choose half of its members, and local elections held every four years for offices in prefectures and municipalities. Elections are supervised by Election Administration Commissions at each administrative level under the general direction of the Central Election Management Council, an extraordinary organ attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). The minimum voting age in Japan's non-compulsory electoral system was reduced from twenty to eighteen years in June 2016. Voters must satisfy a three-month residency requirement before being allowed to cast a ballot.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Prefectural government of Tokyo, Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is the government of the Tokyo Metropolis. One of the 47 prefectures of Japan, the government consists of a popularly elected governor and assembly. The headquarters building is located in the ward of Shinjuku. The metropolitan government administers the special wards, cities, towns and villages that constitute part of the Tokyo Metropolis. With a population closing in on 14 million living within its boundaries, and many more commuting from neighbouring prefectures, the metropolitan government wields significant political power within Japan.

Kunio Hiramatsu was the mayor of Osaka in Japan. He was elected in 2007 with centre-left support from the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), People's New Party and the Social Democratic Party, defeating the centre-right supported incumbent Jun'ichi Seki by 50,000 votes.

Tōru Hashimoto Japanese politician and lawyer

Tōru Hashimoto is a Japanese TV personality, politician and lawyer. He was the mayor of Osaka city and is a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Osaka Restoration Association. He is one of Japan's leading right-wing japanese nationalist and conservative-populist politicians.

Osaka Restoration Association Regional political party in Osaka Prefecture, Japan

The Osaka Restoration Association, also referred to as One Osaka, is a regional political party in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 2010 by then-Governor Tōru Hashimoto, its main platform is pursuing the Osaka Metropolis plan of merging the prefecture and some of its cities into "One Osaka" and reducing overlapping bureaucratic organizations of Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka.

This article lists events in 2011 in Japan.

The 17th unified local elections in Japan took place in April 2011. In the first phase on April 10, 2011 12 governors, 41 prefectural assemblies as well as five mayors and 15 assemblies in cities designated by government ordinance were elected. In the second phase on April 24, 2011 mayors and/or assemblies in hundreds of cities, cities of Tokyo, towns and villages were up for election. Additionally, a by-election for the National Diet was held in Aichi on April 24.

The 16th unified local elections in Japan took place in April 2007. In the first phase on April 8, 2007 13 governors, 44 prefectural assemblies as well as four mayors and 15 assemblies in cities designated by government ordinance were elected. In the second phase on April 22, 2007 mayors and/or assemblies in hundreds of cities, special wards, towns and villages were up for election. Additionally, by-elections for the national Diet were held in Fukushima and Okinawa on April 22.

Politics of Kanagawa, as in all prefectures of Japan, takes place in the framework of local autonomy that is guaranteed by the Constitution and laid out in the Local Autonomy Law. The administration is headed by a governor directly elected by the people every four years in first-past-the-post elections. Legislation, the budget and the approval of personnel appointments, including the vice governors, are handled by the prefectural assembly that is directly elected by the people every four years by single-non transferable vote.

The politics of Tokyo City, as the capital of the Empire of Japan, took place under special regulations that limited its local autonomy compared to other municipalities in Japan. In 1943, the city's independent institutions were eliminated altogether under the authoritarian Tōjō cabinet and the administration was absorbed by the appointed government of Tokyo prefecture.

Osaka Metropolis Plan

The Osaka Metropolis Plan or Osaka Metropolis was a plan to transform Osaka Prefecture from a fu, an urban prefecture, into a to, a metropolis. Under the initially envisioned plan, Osaka city, Sakai city, and other surrounding cities in Osaka prefecture, were to be dissolved and – similarly to Tokyo urban wards within Tokyo – subdivided into special wards that have a status as municipalities but leave some municipal tasks and revenues to the prefectural administration. As political resistance grew, notably the opposition to the plan in Sakai city expressed in the 2013 mayoral election, the concrete plan was reduced to, at least as a first step, abolish only Osaka city. As in Tokyo, the metropolis would have continued to include all other municipalities of the prefecture and serve as prefectural government for them.

Politics of Osaka, as in all 47 prefectures of Japan, takes place in the framework of local autonomy that is guaranteed by chapter 8 of the Constitution and laid out in the Local Autonomy Law. The administration is headed by a governor directly elected by the people every four years in first-past-the-post elections. Legislation, the budget and the approval of personnel appointments, including the vice governors, are handled by the prefectural assembly that is directly elected by the people every four years by single-non transferable vote.

Ichirō Matsui

Ichirō Matsui is a Japanese politician who is the current mayor of Osaka, leader of the Osaka Restoration Association (ORA) and one of the presidents of Nippon Ishin no Kai alongside Toranosuke Katayama.

Hirofumi Yoshimura Japanese politician

Hirofumi Yoshimura is a Japanese politician currently serving as the Governor of Osaka Prefecture. He assumed office in April 2019.

The 2015 Hyōgo prefectural election was an election for the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly held on 12 April 2015 as part of the 2015 unified local elections in Japan. The election saw the number of assembly members reduced from 89 to 87 and the number of electoral districts reduced from 41 to 40. Voting was held in 23 districts and representatives for the remaining 17 districts were elected unopposed. The election was held in the wake of the political expenses scandal that was exposed in July 2014 involving multiple assembly members and was notable for former assemblyman Ryutaro Nonomura's outburst of uncontrolled sobbing at a news conference.

2017 Tokyo prefectural election

Prefectural elections for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly were held on 2 July 2017. The 127 members were elected in forty-two electoral districts, seven returning single members elected by first-past-the-post, and thirty-five returning multiple members under single non-transferable vote. Four districts had their magnitude adjusted in this election to match population changes.

Osaka City Council

The Osaka City Council is the legislature of Osaka City. It is responsible for the "enactment, amendment and repeal of ordinances, budgetary decisions, approval of account settlements, matters of financial importances including acquisition and disposal of city assets, and others." The assembly has a regular membership 83 members, with 42 needed to form a majority.

References

  1. ↑ Osaka prefectural election commission: Electoral districts for the prefectural assembly
  2. ↑ The Japan Times, November 8, 2011: Stunner: JCP skips Osaka mayor race
  3. ↑ The Japan Times, February 8, 2012: [www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208a5.html Hashimoto group claims union tried to tip election]
  4. ↑ The Japan Times, May 27, 2012: Hashimoto stalks anthem foes
  5. ↑ The Japan Times, March 27, 2012: Old guard see despot in Hashimoto. Brash upstart recruiting legions, mainly male, to rock political boat
  6. ↑ The Japan Times Editorial, December 1, 2011: Populist storm in Osaka
  7. ↑ Asahi Shimbun, AJW (Asia & Japan Watch), March 3, 2012: Critics say 'Hashism' is a symptom of the degradation of politics Archived 2012-07-07 at archive.today
  8. ↑ The Economist, January 28, 2012: Generational warfare. Two rival political visions emerge for reviving Japan. Will they clash?
  9. ↑ Osaka City government: Historical mayors and vice-mayors
  10. ↑ Osaka City Council: Members by parliamentary group
  11. ↑ Osaka City Council: President and Vice President
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.