Akichi Ogawa’s Secret Partner Rehired by Mayor-Linked Company

Suspicions Emerge Over Public Works in the City

Akira Ogawa (43), mayor of Maebashi City in Gunma Prefecture, won the rerun mayoral election in January and secured re-election. Yet, new hot issues have already begun to arise around her.

Ogawa made headlines last September when her secret meetings at a love hotel with a subordinate city employee were exposed. The scandal became a major social issue, forcing her resignation. Even though she won re-election in January, there remain strong voices among citizens questioning her moral responsibility.

Amid this, attention has turned to a large, symbolic municipal facility that closed in 2023 with regret:”Maebashi Tersa”. A multipurpose facility with lodging and a large hall, its brick-colored exterior has long been a landmark in Maebashi and beloved by citizens.

A public selection process was conducted to decide the business operator who would purchase “Maebashi Tersa”. The chosen company would receive up to 1.3 billion yen in subsidies from the city. The call for proposals was based on business plans, and four companies applied. However, only one company, A Corp., a wedding and funeral services company headquartered in the city, made it to the final screening. Suspicion arose because the president of A Corp. had been an enthusiastic supporter of Ogawa in the January mayoral election. Furthermore, since the screening process was closed to the public, questions arose: “Why were the other three companies eliminated?” and “Was this one company predetermined from the beginning?”

In fact, the local shopping district and the city chamber of commerce submitted a request to the mayor and the city council chairman asking for a review of the screening. In late February, a citizen assembly organized by the local shopping district was held with the purpose of reconsidering so that multiple proposals could be compared from the perspective of transparency and fairness, drawing over 100 citizens. A city official familiar with the situation explained:

“The president of A Corp. has been boasting to those around him that his company made it to the final screening. Moreover, among the two companies that were eliminated before the final round, the company whose plan was rejected had supported Ogawa’s opposing candidate in the previous mayoral election. People are even asking, ‘Are supporters being favored?’ or ‘Is this retaliation against supporters of the opponent?’”

A city council insider continued:

“At the regular press conference on February 20, Mayor Ogawa was asked about this issue. Regarding the screening process, she repeatedly stated that it was appropriately conducted in private. When asked if one company had already been decided at the proposal stage, she said, ‘There was no procedural flaw; there is no problem.’ Regarding why the three companies could not advance to the final screening, she insisted, ‘There is no need to answer.’ The mayor had promised to announce the results of the screening, but the final results on March 5 were not released until a week later, on the 11th. It was stated that the proposal had not been selected as a result of careful consideration.”

The final screening reportedly took three and a half hours, indicating that Mayor Ogawa was quite nervous. In the end, A Corp.’s plan was also rejected, and “Maebashi Tersa”
is now moving toward demolition. However, the city official noted, “Citizens’ doubts have not been cleared.”

“According to circulated information, A Corp.’s proposal included requests for the city to bear certain burdens, such as exemptions on fixed assets. This point was also questioned at the citizen assembly. Why did A Corp., which proposed to impose burdens on the city, remain a final candidate? If this company had been selected, it would have been inevitable to call it a case of collusion between the mayor and a supporting company.

Since the final screening on the 5th, it is said that the city imposed a gag order, which itself is strange. The fact that the local shopping district and city chamber of commerce submitted requests for reconsideration shows that public disclosure on the day was naturally necessary.

The city now plans to conduct bids for demolition contractors, but strong voices demanding the preservation of “Maebashi Tersa”, beloved by citizens for many years, remain. Calls for transparency regarding the screening process have not changed even after the results were released. This is not a matter that ends with no selection. Of course, the mayor’s responsibility for allowing a situation that involved citizens to escalate to this point will be questioned, and going forward, the question of whether or not to demolish the facility will also come under scrutiny.”

Title: Head of Crisis Management Office

FRIDAY Digital obtained a single business card during reporting on the recent public selection issue.

“Director of the President’s Office / Director of Crisis Management Office”

The person listed with this title and a photo is X, the former subordinate involved in Mayor Ogawa’s love hotel scandal. X resigned voluntarily last year after the scandal came to light, but surprisingly, his new employer is a company aligned with Ogawa supporters.

“A demolition company, B Corp., located in the city, whose president was an enthusiastic supporter of Ogawa in the mayoral election. It’s unclear whether Mayor Ogawa was involved in this employment, but the president reportedly toured the neighborhood with X, making introductions. Yet why give him the title of ‘Director of Crisis Management Office’? This is the same person who damaged Maebashi’s national image through the love hotel scandal.

Even more surprising, the president openly posted on Facebook that his company was one of the four applicants in the recent public selection. The screening was supposed to be private, yet there was no consideration whatsoever. Between the introduction tours with X and flaunting closeness to the mayor, it seems the intent was simply to boast. While such behavior may not be legally problematic, demolition work also includes public projects. Between this and the public selection issue, there are concerns that the mayor might favor supporters,” said the city council source mentioned earlier.

But did X really rejoin B Corp., said to be aligned with the “Ogawa faction”? And was Mayor Ogawa involved? When a reporter called X on his cellphone, he agreed to an interview.

—You hold the position of Director of the President’s Office and Director of the Crisis Management Office at B Corp., correct?

“Yes.”

—The president of B Corp. has actively promoted himself as a passionate supporter of Mayor Ogawa on social media. Were you aware of this?

“I don’t know the details.”

—Did the president personally ask you to come work there?

“Well yes, that happened.”

—So your current position was not arranged or introduced by the mayor in any way?

“Ah, no, that’s correct.”

—There is still strong public discourse questioning the mayor’s moral responsibility. What are your thoughts on that?

“I’m sorry, I’m not in a position to comment on that. I apologize.”

With that, X hung up the phone.

Two months have passed since Mayor Akira Ogawa restarted her administration in January. The publication of the screening results seems to have further fanned the flames. Mayor Ogawa is already facing a critical moment.