Mr. Yamanaka, who lost the election, did not express any "reflection" Mr. Harasawa "work immediately" - Yokohama mayoral election

In the Yokohama mayoral election held on the 18th, Takeharu Yamanaka (54), who resigned due to his own power harassment scandal and ran again, lost the election. Mr. Yamanaka repeatedly apologized and expressed remorse during the election campaign, but this did not reach many voters. On the other hand, the winning newcomer, Atsumi Harazawa (59), emphasized, ``I will get to work right away.''

Shortly after 8 p.m., when it was announced that Harasawa was certain to win, Yamanaka bowed his head with a stiff expression in front of the 20 or so supporters gathered at his office and said, ``I'm sorry that I couldn't live up to your expectations.''

It's been five years since I moved from being a university professor specializing in coronavirus research to becoming mayor. He was accused of power harassment by a staff member and was forced to resign. Regarding the election results, Yamanaka said, ``Citizens made a very harsh judgment,'' and apologized again, saying, ``I am sorry that my words and actions led to a deterioration in the working environment.''

He explained that his future is "totally undecided." He encouraged Harasawa, saying, ``I hope you will continue to develop Yokohama while having discussions with various stakeholders.''

At Harazawa's office, about 100 supporters, including members of the Diet, cheered and wished him all the best. Mr. Harasawa, who received the bouquet of flowers, smiled and emphasized, ``Yokohama has many issues that need to be addressed.'' Regarding the International Horticultural Exhibition (Flower Expo) to be held in the city next year, he said, ``We have to make it a success no matter what.''