Maebashi Mayor Ogawa Shocks Citizens with Re-election Announcement Amid Reports of Secret Meetings with Sponsors

Delivering a passionate speech at a meeting of his supporters

“The actions of Mayor Akira Ogawa (42) at this point can only be described as erratic. Nearly 8,000 complaint calls have flooded the city office. As a supposed relief measure, he set up a call center within his private office on October 10—but it’s staffed by only a handful of people. Since the phone number was made public, the lines have been jammed, and when callers can’t get through, they end up calling the city hall again to complain, saying things like ‘No one’s answering!’ The burden on city employees hasn’t eased at all,” said a Maebashi City Council insider, voicing frustration over the mayor’s response.

The scandal involving Mayor Ogawa—who was found to have repeatedly met a married senior staffer at a love hotel—has continued to deepen. Although he abruptly announced his intention to stay in office on the 17th, his behavior since all ten city council factions submitted a formal request for resignation on October 3 has only appeared increasingly irrational.

“Even after receiving the resignation request on the 3rd, on the 10th the attorney representing the involved staff member—who happens to be an acquaintance of the mayor—submitted a statement of explanation to the city council. The fact that this attorney is close to the mayor suggests the staff member is effectively under the mayor’s influence.

Then, on the 13th, the mayor attended a hastily arranged citizens dialogue meeting’ organized by his supporters. In front of about 120 attendees, he reportedly said, ‘Whether it’s a snap election or one after my term ends, there will come a day when I’ll face the voters’ judgment.’ But this reasoning doesn’t hold water—the city council represents the citizens. As mayor, he should first be explaining himself to the council, that is, to the public through their elected representatives,” the council member continued.

While he speaks to his supporters, Mayor Ogawa has largely ignored the council—further highlighting a picture of a leader clinging to power and neglecting his duty to be accountable to the citizens.

The fallout from his actions extends beyond the call center. A longtime acquaintance of the mayor, who has known him for over a decade, revealed:

“Until recently, the mayor was usually accompanied by just one secretary from the Secretariat Division on official business trips or local visits. But after the scandal broke, it became inappropriate for him to travel alone with a male staffer, so now a female staff member must always accompany them. This adds even more work for city employees. To match the mayor’s seniority, they’re looking for experienced female staff members, but even after asking other departments, no one wants to take on the role. On top of that, the replacement for the secretary division chief—who was transferred following the scandal—still hasn’t been decided. City operations are slowing down and growing more chaotic by the day.”

At last year’s Maebashi Festival, he danced while striking naruko clappers in rhythm

The fallout from the scandal has extended far beyond city administration. Its impact is now reaching a major event that Maebashi City has been promoting—one positioned as a key driver of local economic revitalization.

“The event is the ‘NHK Taiga Drama Invitation Project,’ which aims to bring a historical drama centered on a Maebashi-born hero to the screen. The figure in question is Kantaro Suzuki, the patriotic prime minister who guided Japan to the end of World War II. The local Chamber of Commerce and influential companies established the Suzuki Kantaro Memorial Association last year, with Mayor Ogawa serving as honorary advisor,” explains a local business leader.

In June, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (68) visited downtown Maebashi, calling it a model for citizen-led regional revitalization. Mayor Ogawa enthusiastically guided him through the tour. But when the “Invitation Project” held its inaugural ceremony on October 15, she was absent—a major blow to momentum just as the campaign was gaining traction.

“This was supposed to be the moment we moved forward. For the mayor to skip such an important ceremony—it’s like she’s dragging down the local economy she’s supposed to support!” said one frustrated attendee.

That same day, the city announced the cancellation of its second town meeting with citizens, originally scheduled for October 29—following the earlier cancellation of the first meeting on October 4. Meanwhile, according to one of Ogawa’s longtime acquaintances:

“That evening, she gathered executives from her corporate supporters’ network for what she called an emergency opinion exchange meeting. Reporters were barred, of course. It looked like she was quietly rallying financial backers to prepare for staying in office. There’s another support group too, and she’s expected to meet with them as well.”

While official events such as the Maebashi Festival and public town halls are postponed, the mayor appears to be focusing her energy on behind-the-scenes strategy sessions—a move observers interpret as laying the groundwork for political survival.

“She’s putting her own supporters ahead of the public,” the acquaintance sighed. “It’s hard not to see this as a betrayal of the voters who believed in her.”

When asked about her future in a city assembly session on October 2, Mayor Ogawa vaguely replied, “I’ll try to decide by the coming-of-age ceremony.” Now, many wonder if her decision refers not to accountability—but to quiet political maneuvering behind closed doors.