Many in Japan¡¯s political world are asking themselves what the effect of Sunday¡¯s referendum in Osaka will be, and whether it will indeed mark the end of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto¡¯s political career.
By a razor-thin margin of just over 10,000 votes out of 1.4 million cast, local voters said ¡°no¡± to Hashimoto¡¯s goal of merging Osaka¡¯s 24 wards into five semi-autonomous wards. Turnout for the referendum was 66.83 percent, 5.91 points higher than that of Osaka¡¯s double gubernatorial and mayoral elections in 2011.
Had the majority voted in favor of Hashimoto¡¯s plan, it would have eliminated the current municipal assembly and mayoral positions.
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