MAEBASHI, GUNMA PREF. ¨C Akira Ogawa, mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, plans to step down following a scandal involving her ¡°love hotel¡± visits with a married male city employee.
Kimitaka Tomita, speaker of the city¡¯s assembly, told reporters Tuesday that Ogawa submitted a resignation letter to him. The assembly was all but certain to adopt a motion of no confidence in the mayor in a plenary meeting on Thursday, the first day of a regular session.
¡°I appreciate to a certain extent that (Ogawa) made the decision¡± to step down, Tomita said.
In September, Ogawa admitted to visiting a love hotel more than 10 times while knowing that the male city employee was married. She said there was no romantic relationship between them, claiming that they were at the hotel to talk about problems in her public duties and private life.
The city assembly had been putting pressure on the mayor over the scandal, arguing that she was undermining the city¡¯s image.
Ogawa worked as a lawyer and as a Gunma Prefectural Assembly member before defeating the then-incumbent mayor in the 2024 Maebashi mayoral election.
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