ニュース 2014/07/13 Former DPJ Diet member Mikazuki wins Shiga gubernatorial On July 13, voting took place in the Shiga gubernatorial, held as a result of the completion of the incumbent’s term of office. Former DPJ Diet member Taizo Mikazuki, running as a first-time independent candidate, was elected, beating out candidates endorsed by the LDP/New Komeito and by the Japanese Communist Party. Voter turnout was 50.15%. Mikazuki, who had vowed to continue governance of the prefecture in the vein of the “grassroots politics” promoted by the current governor Yukiko Kada, had campaigned under the mantle of ‘Team Shiga’, and had received DPJ backing during the election. DPJ Diet members who had worked together with Mikazuki during his time in national politics, including DPJ Vice President Tatsuo Kawabata and Election Campaign Committee Chair Sumio Mabuchi, rushed to his campaign office to celebrate his victory. Mikazuki, who appeared at the campaign office upon hearing that his victory was assured, was greeted at the podium by calls of ‘Mikazuki, Mikazuki’ from his supporters, who packed the office floor. Together they engaged in a round of three cheers, and the venue was filled with shouts of celebration. When asked during his victory interview what message he thought had resonated most with the voters, Mikazuki responded, “I think that appealing to the feelings of individual voters, their feelings for their daily lives, for Lake Biwa, for the future of our children, for grassroots politics in Shiga prefecture, and urging them all to work together with us to create a better Shiga, was what enabled me to gain the support of many people.” Mikazuki also stated, “In these times of change, with public finances also in difficulty, the prefectural staff and the residents of Shiga prefecture, with Governor Kada at their head, have been energetically promoting prefectural governance which reviews things seen as ‘wasteful’.” He went on to praise Kada for taking the lead on energy policy, now at a turning point following the Great East Japan Earthquake, and stated, “I have been entrusted with the extremely heavy responsibility of responding to the expectations of the residents of Shiga prefecture who would like me to take on the mantle of Governor Shiga and further develop [such policies].” Mikazuki went on to say, “Electricity and electric power are necessary for our day to day lives, but while there are substitute power sources, there is no substitute for Lake Biwa. There is also no substitute for people’s lives. Moreover, our strong resolution to learn from 3/11 and create a new energy society which does not rely on nuclear power as soon as possible has been manifested by the public in this first Shiga gubernatorial since 3/11.” Shiga is situated next to Fukui, which is the host prefecture for many nuclear power plants. Mikazuki said that the fact that the prefecture “had accepted my policies through this election result would be an extremely important turning point for Japan’s energy policy.”