Society | Apr 27

Japan mayor forced to quit over bringing personal sauna into office

Apr 27 (Kyodo) - The mayor of a city in the western Japan prefecture of Osaka said Monday he will step down after finding himself in the hot seat for setting up a home sauna just next to his office for personal use.

Hiroki Tomita, the mayor of Ikeda, has been under intense criticism for bringing the sauna into the city government's building from his home last year along with gym equipment. He had claimed they were needed for "health reasons."

On Monday, the 44-year-old said at a press conference he will resign to "take responsibility" after the city government's COVID-19 vaccination program for elderly people is largely completed, without providing a specific timeline.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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