Shinji Ishimaru Supports His Ally Current Hikone Mayor Who Lost the Election Osaka Media Reveals Why the Expected Wave Did Not Happen

In the Hikone mayoral election, the Ishimaru whirlwind did not occur

Shinji Ishimaru, who became a darling of the times in the previous Tokyo gubernatorial election, has now faced the question: where did the “Ishimaru whirlwind” go?

In the Hikone mayoral election in Shiga Prefecture, held on April 27, former member of the House of Representatives, Kazunari Tajima (62), a newcomer, defeated the incumbent mayor, Hiroyuki Wada (54), by a narrow margin of 845 votes to win his first term.

Wada, who could not capitalize on the advantage of being the incumbent, was defeated despite the support of Ishimaru, a nationally known figure.

According to the Asahi Shimbun’s breaking news, the headline read:

“Shinji Ishimaru repeatedly campaigned for incumbent Hiroyuki Wada, who lost the Hikone mayoral election”

The headline seems to reflect some underlying emotions.

According to Asahi Shimbun, during the seven-day election campaign, Ishimaru joined the campaign for at least four days, accompanying the candidate in poster distribution and street promotions. He also took part in giving speeches.

On social media, there were sarcastic reactions to the Asahi article:

“Oh, that headline!”
“Isn’t ‘repeatedly’ unnecessary?”
“The incumbent losing, that’s the Ishimaru effect, right?”

A journalist from a national newspaper commented:

“Ishimaru, like how he was defeated by Governor Yuriko Koike in Tokyo, shows that incumbents are indeed strong and have an advantage. While new leadership might bring some improvements, there’s also the risk that it could alter the current situation in undesirable ways. Surprisingly, many people don’t really seek change. The comfort of the incumbent is often a powerful weapon, unless there’s a significant reason for change.”

But there are always exceptions.

Shinji Ishimaru, who briefly became the mayor of Hikone

Shinji Ishimaru, who supported Hikone Mayor Wada, lost in the election despite his previous efforts. In recent years, various political figures have experienced defeats following scandals, such as former Ikeda Mayor Tomita, who brought a sauna into city hall, and former Ichikawa Mayor Murakoshi, who installed a shower in his office.

Although Wada didn’t have any major scandals, he lost to a newcomer. This has led to speculation that the “Ishimaru Effect” did not work in his favor. Despite Ishimaru’s popularity, his efforts didn’t seem to translate into votes.

In the past, Wada had supported Ishimaru in the Tokyo gubernatorial election, and Ishimaru returned the favor by serving as the one-day mayor of Hikone to promote the city. However, Ishimaru’s support didn’t seem to help Wada in the mayoral race. One possible reason is that Ishimaru has had conflicts with the media in the past, which led to a lack of media coverage for the election.

Interestingly, the voter turnout was higher than the last election, yet Ishimaru’s effective use of social media could not reach the older demographic, who rely on traditional media. Additionally, the timing of a court ruling against Ishimaru related to a defamation case could have affected his influence.

Ishimaru’s political party, “The Path of Revival,” is planning to field candidates in upcoming elections, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections in June and the Senate elections in July. However, his defeat in Hikone is a significant blow to his momentum. The question now is whether Ishimaru can generate another “Ishimaru Storm” in Tokyo.