A local assembly in Japan voted to remove the mayor of Hachirogata city after he became ill and remained unconscious for several months.
Foreign news agencies reported that on 9 May 2026, the Hachirogata city council in northeastern Japan unanimously passed a vote of no confidence against 72-year-old Mayor Kikuo Hatakeyama, who fell ill in February with a brain hemorrhage.
As a result of this vote, Mayor Hatakeyama, who had served since 2008, will automatically leave office on 19 May.
The National Association of City and Village Assemblies of Japan stated that submitting a no-confidence motion against a mayor due to illness is almost unprecedented, and that the decision to remove Mayor Hatakeyama was difficult but necessary for administrative management.
Japan Times reported that in April, the mayor’s wife asked the city council to assess whether he could continue performing his duties, stating that resignation might be the best option for him.
However, local law requires mayors wishing to resign to personally notify the council president. The city government explained last month that resignation requests submitted by family members have no legal effect.
Therefore, the vote of no confidence was chosen as the quickest way to remove the mayor to allow administration to continue, with a new election expected within 50 days to select his successor.
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Source:bbc