Local News

Keisuke Hiwatashi was reelected as the mayor of Takeo, Saga Prefecture, in a special election held as a result of debate over privatizing the municipal hospital, which has aggregate debts of 630 million yen. The local doctors’ association and some city council members opposed Mayor Hiwatashi’s plan to sell the hospital to private interests in Kitakyushu and started a recall campaign. Mr. Hiwatashi thereupon resigned and ran again in a special election. He won with about 54% of the vote.