杉並区長選 現職・元職・新人2人の4人の争い　『対話の区政』で論戦…　28日に投票日

The mayoral election in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, held due to the expiration of the current mayor's term, will take place on June 28th. Four candidates are running: the incumbent, a former mayor, and two newcomers. The election is seeing a debate centered on the current ward administration's emphasis on dialogue with residents. Incumbent Mayor Satoko Kishimoto (51), seeking a second term, appeals to voters with the message, "Suginami is a place where decisions are made with the residents. Let's move forward with a dialogue-based administration. Dialogue-based administration isn't just dialogue for the sake of dialogue; it's a fundamental and crucial initiative for a democratic society." She emphasizes the importance of the "dialogue-based administration" she implemented during her first term. She highlights past achievements through dialogue with residents, such as the continued operation of children's centers and the creation of a rent subsidy system, and advocates for further advancements in resident-centered policies. Dissenting from the incumbent's "dialogue-based administration" is former mayor Ryo Tanaka (65), who served three terms. Mr. Tanaka says, "They talk about dialogue, but it's just a covert operation where nothing is done. It's the responsibility of local governments and administrations to solve problems concretely. In order to solve problems, the top leadership must set goals." He points to the increase in the number of recognized bullying cases and the rise in the number of children on waiting lists for after-school care, criticizing the current ward administration's stagnation by saying that "dialogue" has not yielded results. He also proposes increasing the lump-sum birth allowance to 1 million yen, a measure unique to the ward, as a countermeasure against the declining birthrate. Shin Owada (45), a former ward council member and newcomer running with the endorsement of the Liberal Democratic Party, also criticizes the current ward administration's stagnation. Mr. Owada says, "They're just having dialogue and not moving forward. Things have been stagnant for a long time. I want to have dialogue that leads to decisions, not decisions without dialogue, and not dialogue without decisions." He argues that the current ward administration lacks decisiveness and that decisions should be made quickly after dialogue. He also proposes creating a local digital currency as a countermeasure against rising prices, which directly impacts the lives of ward residents. Yoshihiko Masuda (68), a former IT company executive and newcomer to international business consulting, advocates for a ward administration that inherits the "dialogue-based administration" while leveraging his experience as a business executive. Masuda states, "While inheriting the stance of dialogue, I want to incorporate the management approach that is standard in the private sector: making firm decisions and taking action to produce results when deadlines arrive." Furthermore, given that Suginami Ward has the highest rate of tree decline among Tokyo's 23 wards, he aims to enhance the ward's appeal, increase the working-age population, and stabilize tax revenue by incorporating successful examples from overseas cities, such as investing in urban greening. The Suginami Ward mayoral election will be held on the 28th, with vote counting taking place the following day, the 29th. ■Suginami Ward Mayoral Election Candidates (in order of registration, titles omitted) Satoko Kishimoto (51, Independent, Incumbent) Shin Owada (45, Independent, Newcomer = Recommended by LDP) Yoshihiko Masuda (68, Independent, Newcomer) Ryo Tanaka (65, Independent, Former)