Japanese Mayoral Elections after the Heisei Municipal Amalgamations

Abstract

　Twenty years have passed since municipalities of Japan Vegan the Heisei Municipal Amalgamations. The Heisei Municipal Amalgamations had a strong impact on local politics in Japan. Above all, mayoral elections experienced great change. Since most amalgamated cities expanded their population and finance, mayoralties of amalgamated cities become popular. Many strong candidates entered mayoral elections. Moreover, municipal amalgamations increased policy issues and political cleavages. Confrontation between central areas and peripheral areas in new amalgamated cities made mayoral elections competitive. However, it is not clear yet if these impacts continue today now. Furthermore we don’t know what kinds of issues were debated in mayoral elections in amalgamated cities.

　Using mayoral election data, this research reveals the previous occupations and partisanship of mayorals before and after municipal amalgamations. Furthermore, political issues during mayoral election in amalgamated cities are investigated. As a result of this investigation, it is revealed that political impacts of municipal amalgamations are decreasing. Furthermore, it becomes clear that financial crises and confrontations among municipalities prior to amalgamations encouraged the emergence of challengers toward incumbent mayors.