Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos

A former mayor who quit her job amid a scandal over an alleged affair with a married subordinate has staged a political comeback in Japan, in a result analysts say shows how attitudes towards women in public life are shifting. Akira Ogawa, 43, was re-elected as mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma prefecture, on Monday, mere weeks after resigning under intense public pressure. Running as an independent, Ogawa secured nearly 63,000 votes – around 10,000 more than her closest challenger – decisively winning a five-way race. Voter turnout rose to over 47 per cent, nearly 8 percentage points higher than in the previous election. Ogawa stepped down in November last year after local media reported that she had repeatedly met a married male subordinate at “love hotels” – short-stay lodgings commonly used by couples. She denied any misconduct, while the male official involved was disciplined by the city and later resigned. Her re-election marks a striking return in a politically conservative prefecture, with analysts saying it highlights both the persistence and possible weakening of double standards in Japanese political life. “When it is a woman in this sort of situation, it becomes much more politicised,” said Hiromi Murakami, a professor of political science at Temple University’s Japan campus. This type of scandal would “normally” be career ending for a Japanese woman in politics, she told This Week in Asia – but Ogawa’s victory “tells me that the electorate trust her, based on her past performance in office”. Ogawa became Maebashi’s first female mayor in February 2024, winning support for policies such as the introduction of free school meals. That voters “were willing to ignore the scandal means that she has achieved equality with male politicians”, Murakami said. “The irony, of course, is that it would not have made the same headlines if it had been a male mayor.” Sex and money scandals have long been fixtures of Japanese politics, with male politicians, from cabinet ministers to party leaders, frequently surviving controversies that would end careers elsewhere. Among them is Taro Aso, the veteran Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight and former prime minister, who has made a string of inflammatory remarks over the years – from blaming social problems on unmarried citizens to playing down sexual harassment claims against government officials and urging the elderly to “hurry up and die”. He once described Japan as the perfect place for “rich Jews” to live and said Adolf Hitler had “the right motives”, remarks that drew international criticism but little domestic consequence. Others have rebounded from scandal with remarkable ease. Koichi Hagiuda returned to the cabinet less than two years after becoming embroiled in a political slush fund investigation, while Muneo Suzuki – convicted of bribery and perjury in 2004 – re-emerged as a political force heading a small party aligned with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Even extramarital affairs, long a tabloid staple, rarely end a male politician’s career. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, admitted to such an affair in 2024 but refused to step down, insisting he could “give back” through continued service. In that context, Ogawa’s comeback appeared both unusual and emblematic of change, Murakami said, adding that voters likely rewarded her for past achievements and for what many saw as a direct, unembellished handling of the scandal. It is clear that she had a lot of support among local people who were willing to put the reasons for her resignation to one side Hiromi Murakami, academic, on Ogawa’s re-election “It is clear that she had a lot of support among local people who were willing to put the reasons for her resignation to one side,” Murakami said. “It suggests that they have seen what she achieved previously and are confident that she is going to deliver more of the same.” Her victory also contrasts with the downfall of Maki Takubo, who was forced out as mayor of Ito in Shizuoka prefecture just two months into her term last year after falsely claiming academic credentials and then compounding the damage with further falsehoods. Ogawa’s re-election, conversely, suggested that Japanese voters might finally be moved towards judging women in politics by the same imperfect standards that men had long enjoyed, Murakami said.

Japan’s ‘love hotel’ mayor stages comeback, shattering political taboos

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Akira Ogawa’s return suggests voters are finally judging women in Japanese politics by the same imperfect standards as men

Akira Ogawa’s return suggests voters are finally judging women in Japanese politics by the same imperfect standards as men