2023 Osaka mayoral election
9 April 2023
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| Turnout | 1,015,766 48.33% (4.37 pp) | ||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Osaka mayoral election took place on 9 April 2023 as part of the 20th unified local elections to elect the next mayor of Osaka.[1] Incumbent mayor Ichiro Matsui decided not to seek a second term as mayor of Osaka, opting instead to retire from politics at the end of his term. The election resulted in a landslide victory for Hideyuki Yokoyama, the candidate from the Osaka Restoration Association, who secured 64.56% of the vote. Taeko Kitano, who was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party, received 26.41% of the vote.
Background
Following the rejection of his proposal to abolish Osaka City and establish an Osaka Metropolis, incumbent mayor Ichiro Matsui announced his intention to retire from politics at the end of his current term.[2] The election was announced on 26 March 2023, to be held on 9 April 2023 in conjunction with elections for the Osaka City Council, the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, and the governor of Osaka Prefecture.[3]
Candidates
Osaka Restoration Association
Declared
- Satoru Fujita, Osaka City Council member[4]
- Rie Honda, Osaka City Council member[4]
- Kenta Matsunami, Osaka Prefectural Assembly member[4]
- Futoshi Okazaki, Osaka City Council member[4]
- Hideyuki Yokoyama, Osaka Prefectural Assembly member[4]
Results
Fujita, Honda, and Matsunami were eliminated on 4 November 2022 during an internal Osaka Restoration Society selection meeting.[4] Yokoyama then defeated Okazaki in a runoff election on 10 December 2022.[5]
Independent
Declared
- Yasuhiko Aramaki, restaurant owner[6]
- Taeko Kitano, Osaka City Council member (backed by Liberal Democratic Party and Constitutional Democratic Party[7])
- Nepensa, author[6]
- Toshihiko Yamazaki, physical therapist[6]
Results
City-wide results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Restoration Association | Hideyuki Yokoyama | 655,802 | 64.56% | +6.45 | |
| Independent | Taeko Kitano | 268,227 | 26.41% | n/a | |
| Independent | Toshihiko Yamazaki | 45,369 | 4.47% | n/a | |
| Independent | Yasuhiko Aramaki | 30,960 | 3.05% | n/a | |
| Independent | Nepensa | 15,408 | 1.52% | n/a | |
| Total votes | 1,015,766 | 100% | |||
| Osaka Restoration Association hold | |||||
Ward results
| ward name | Hideyuki Yokoyama | Taeko Kitano | Toshihiko Yamazaki | Yasuhiko Aramaki | Nepensa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka City total | 655,802 | 268,227 | 45,369 | 30,960 | 15,408 |
| Kita Ward | 34,795 | 11,210 | 2,515 | 1,730 | 821 |
| Toshima Ward | 28,607 | 10,485 | 2,097 | 1,632 | 583 |
| Fukushima Ward | 20,303 | 6,783 | 1,335 | 783 | 380 |
| Konohana Ward | 16,057 | 6,557 | 925 | 639 | 404 |
| Chuo Ward | 23,849 | 9,393 | 1,356 | 1,396 | 518 |
| Nishi Ward | 23,622 | 8,653 | 1,251 | 1,198 | 501 |
| Minato Ward | 19,422 | 8,732 | 1,338 | 852 | 474 |
| Taisho District | 15,697 | 6,336 | 986 | 820 | 394 |
| Tennoji Ward | 20,073 | 8,134 | 1,030 | 1,064 | 430 |
| Naniwa Ward | 10,889 | 4,593 | 768 | 662 | 281 |
| Nishiyodogawa Ward | 22,661 | 10,189 | 1,385 | 1,328 | 596 |
| Yodogawa Ward | 41,715 | 20,109 | 1,986 | 1,678 | 884 |
| Higashiyodogawa Ward | 39,868 | 15,792 | 2,450 | 1,767 | 923 |
| Higashinari Ward | 20,702 | 8,130 | 1,773 | 914 | 532 |
| Ikuno Ward | 23,517 | 10,508 | 1,866 | 1,370 | 643 |
| Asahi Ward | 22,734 | 10,444 | 2,794 | 1,102 | 559 |
| Joto Ward | 46,115 | 16,942 | 4,402 | 1,709 | 1,076 |
| Tsurumi Ward | 29,369 | 9,585 | 2,485 | 1,125 | 618 |
| Abeno Ward | 28,697 | 13,719 | 2,595 | 1,286 | 502 |
| Suminoe Ward | 30,191 | 12,771 | 1,773 | 1,700 | 754 |
| Sumiyoshi Ward | 37,080 | 17,645 | 2,313 | 1,748 | 899 |
| Higashi Sumiyoshi Ward | 32,515 | 14,182 | 1,725 | 1,311 | 769 |
| Hirano Ward | 46,733 | 17,490 | 3,063 | 2,249 | 1,283 |
| Nishinari Ward | 20,591 | 9,845 | 1,158 | 897 | 584 |
All results published by Osaka City.[8]
References
- ^ "980 Races Expected in Japan's Upcoming Local Elections". The Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ "Osaka rejects plan to break up city in referendum for 2nd time". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- ^ "大阪府大阪市長の選挙一覧 ｜ 選挙ドットコム". 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ a b c d e f "維新の大阪市長予備選、最終候補の2人が決まる 12月に党員投票". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ "大阪市長選、維新候補に府議の横山英幸氏を選出 「セット戦略」狙う". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ a b c d "大阪市長選挙 - 2023年04月09日投票 | 大阪府大阪市". 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Major parties take aim at Osaka Ishin in mayor election". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ "大阪市長選挙 開票速報∥大阪市選挙管理委員会". www.city.osaka.lg.jp. Retrieved 2023-04-12.