Mayor in Gunma tenders resignation amid sexual harassment allegations

Sep 11, 2018 | News On Japan

Sep 11, 2018 (Japan Today) - The mayor of the eastern Japan town of Minakami tendered his resignation Monday after sexual harassment allegations against him have made the passage of a no-confidence motion in the local assembly almost inevitable.

Yoshinari Maeda, 51, presented the resignation letter to the secretary general of the Minakami assembly in Gunma Prefecture, a day after an assembly poll was held and a majority of the 18 newly elected members turned out to be critical of Maeda.

The case adds to a series of sexual harassment issues engulfing heads of municipalities, including Kunihiko Takahashi who resigned as mayor of the city of Komae in western Tokyo in June after months of being under fire over the allegations.

Maeda acknowledged in a press conference Monday he "feels responsible" for the defeat of the candidates he supported. He continues to deny claims he had sexually harassed a woman.

The election was held as Maeda dissolved the assembly in August in response to the passage of a no-confidence motion against him in July, criticizing him for causing confusion in governance due to the sexual harassment accusations.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.