Internal schisms in the “Restoration Association” and the “scenario” drawn by dissidents in the rekindling of the Osaka Metropolis plan: “We want to get rid of Representative Yoshimura.

Information warfare using the mass media

Distortions are occurring within the “Osaka Restoration Association,” the group that is leading the way on the pros and cons of the “Osaka Metropolis Concept” for the third time put forth by Hirofumi Yoshimura, 50, the leader of the Osaka Restoration Association. The Osaka City Council of the Restoration Association opposed the submission of a proposal to establish a legal council in March. The proposal was not submitted. Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama (44) came between the city council and Representative Hirofumi Yoshimura, but the gap between the two could not be bridged.

In April, Yoshimura’s reference to the possibility that the referendum on the metropolitan plan might extend to all residents of the prefecture further hardened the attitude of the Osaka City Council, and at the town meetings of Osaka citizens that began on April 5, skepticism about the metropolitan plan was already rife.

A sense of disquiet within the Restoration Association began to emerge on March 4. This was triggered by a leak to the media of a dinner between Ichiro Matsui, 62, former representative of the Osaka Municipal Council, and a group of city councilors who oppose the early establishment of a legal council to draft a system for the Osaka metropolitan government. In addition to Matsui, Hidetaka Inoue, 54, a member of the House of Representatives and an old hand in the Restoration Association, and Futoshi Okazaki, 58, a member of the House of Councilors and a former member of the Osaka City Council, were reportedly present at the dinner. A member of the Osaka Restoration Association said.

It was supposed to be a closed-door meeting, but some of the media were waiting for us. Mr. Matsui is also cautious about the early establishment of a legal council, and he still has influence within the party. The purpose of leaking the dinner to the media was probably to give the impression that ‘there are so many opponents.

However, Matsui did not directly deny the current executive committee at the dinner, but rather acted as a listener, soothing the strong opposition of some city council members. He was acting as a coordinator to avoid divisions within the party.

A few days after the dinner, Matsui told MBS that “the city council members are more reasonable,” and then referred to Yoshimura as follows.

I think it would be better to have more openness. If some people make a decision and you don’t follow it, it’s like, ‘As a member of the Restoration Association, you must be different.’ …… I know Mr. Yoshimura is doing his best, but ‘aren’t you one of us?’ I think. Even when Mr. Hashimoto (Toru) was in charge, this kind of thing didn’t happen. We were doing things in a more open manner.”

The current turmoil stems from the double election held in February this year for the Osaka prefectural governor and Osaka city mayor to decide whether or not to challenge the Osaka Metropolis concept for the third time. From the outset, there were disturbing voices from the Osaka Restoration Association. A reporter in charge of prefectural politics for a national newspaper explains.

Even the staff at the party headquarters had not heard about the rekindling of the Osaka Metropolis plan, saying that they had learned about it through the press. Most of the Osaka Restoration Association’s city assembly members, let alone the Diet members, had not been informed of the plan. It was the sole decision of Mr. Yoshimura and Mr. Yokoyama. Around the time of the House of Councillors election last summer, the word ‘dictatorship’ began to be heard. Yoshimura’s administration has had the fewest opportunities for dialogue in its history, and it can be said that this has heightened internal opposition.

We want to get rid of Representative Yoshimura.

Although many media outlets have already reported that the Osaka City Council is opposed to the metropolitan government concept, one member of the city council reveals that the reality is a little different.

However, a member of the Osaka City Council revealed, “The reality is a little different. Most of the council members are either neutral or are unsure which side they should be on.

However, there is no explanation from Yoshimura or his party as to what will happen to the city council after the metropolitan government’s plan is realized and Osaka City ceases to exist. The double election, in which the metropolitan government was pledged, was only for appearances, and it cannot be said to have gained the will of the people. Since there are more than a few council members who are concerned about these issues, the city council can say, ‘The logic is with us.

A member of the city council continued.

“There is a strong sense of discomfort in the media reports that the majority of the city council is opposed to the metropolitan government concept, as well as in the statements of some city council members. I don’t think the correct information is being conveyed. I think the biggest problem with the Osaka Restoration Association is its organizational structure, where everything is top-down and there is absolutely no attitude of discussing and deciding. To begin with, when the previous metropolitan government plan was rejected in a referendum, Representative Yoshimura said, “I will not try a third time during (my) term of office. ……”

Due in part to such opposition from the city council, the establishment of a legal council was postponed twice, in January and March, and if it is not approved by the city council in May and the subsequent prefectural assembly, the implementation of the referendum by next spring, as Mr. Yoshimura had stipulated, will be set back. This would lead to the opposition’s line of reasoning that “as a clear failure, we can question the credibility of Representative Yoshimura.

In the midst of all this, the idea of expanding the scope of the referendum to include the entire prefecture suddenly emerged. In response to Yoshimura’s statement, Takashi Takeshita, secretary general of the city assembly, complained to reporters , “We were thinking of doing this carefully, and then suddenly the subject was expanded. A member of the Osaka Restoration Association, mentioned above, had this to say about the uproar within the party.

It means that there are forces that want to remove Mr. Yoshimura from Osaka City and do not want him to go to national politics.

Yoshimura, however, was not the only member of the Restoration Association to display dictatorial behavior.

In the next article , “It’s Dictator vs. Dictator: The ‘Restoration Association’ and City Council Members in a ‘Self-First Power Struggle’ over the Osaka Metropolis Plan, ” we will report on the inside story of the intense power struggle over the metropolitan government plan.