Is ¡°The Toru Hashimoto Show,¡± the long-running Osaka political drama ¡ª which some might call a farce and others a tragedy ¡ª entering its final season?
That¡¯s the question Osakans of all political stripes are asking with the mercurial mayor set to leave office at the end of this month, only to stand for re-election March 23 for reasons not even Hashimoto¡¯s most ardent supporters can fully explain.
Officially, his resignation was prompted by anger at the lack of progress a committee of local politicians made in discussing his and his Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) political group¡¯s goal of integrating the city of Osaka with Osaka Prefecture by April next year.
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