Governor Kawakatsu Expected to Resign, Eyes Leisurely Retirement with Book Income

Heita Kawakatsu, Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, is facing a headwind–.

In an April 1 instruction to newly hired Shizuoka Prefecture government employees, Governor Kawakatsu said.

The prefectural government is a think tank. Unlike selling vegetables, taking care of cows, or making things every day, you are basically people with brains and high intelligence. So we need to polish our brains and intelligence.

When the criticism poured in, he was told that he would have to go back to the office on the following day. When he was inundated with criticism, he abruptly announced on the following day his intention to resign at the end of the regular session of the Diet in June.

Governor Kawakatsu was first elected in July 2009, and his resignation came in the middle of his fourth term. It is estimated that he has earned more than 100 million yen in severance pay alone.

The term of office for prefectural governors is four years, with a severance payment of approximately 40 million yen for each term. Governor Kawakatsu did not receive any severance pay during his first term, but he did receive severance pay in each of his second and third terms. This time, he has almost a year left before his term expires, but he will still receive tens of millions of yen in severance pay,” said a local media source.

The governor’s annual income is estimated to be well over 20 million yen. Just by rough calculation, adding his daily monthly salary and bonuses to the total retirement allowance of 100 million yen, the governor’s annual salary is estimated to be in the range of 300 to 400 million yen.

“He must have earned 300 to 400 million yen during his term in office,” said a local media source.

(A local media source).

Speaking of Governor Kawakatsu, in 2009, he said, “Gotemba has a lot of koshihi rice.

In 2009, Governor Kawakatsu resigned from his post after he rhetorically stated, “Gotemba has only Koshihikari rice.

In 2009, Governor Kawakatsu was recommended to resign from his post after he rhetorically stated, “Gotemba has only Koshihikari (rice). At that time, he announced to the press that he would give up one month’s salary and a year-end bonus totaling approximately 4.4 million yen as a penalty, but it was later discovered that he did not actually do so.

The media got wind of it, and in July of last year he reiterated that he would return his salary, but had he not been exposed, he would have continued to receive it. In the assembly, the conflict between the governor and the Liberal Democratic Party, the largest faction in the prefectural assembly and the largest opposition party, had become acute, and the governor had fallen into doubt.

Even with this latest gaffe, the Yomiuri Shimbun, which carried the initial report, claimed that it had ‘cut out [the content],’ and he refused to budge until the very end. Compared to the past, he had become more abusive and unable to look at things dispassionately. There were whispers within the government that Governor Kawakatsu would not last much longer.

The resignation may seem abrupt, but those who know Kawakatsu’s “unusual condition” are heard to say, “Finally, …….

On the other hand, his life after his resignation is secure.

The governor usually lives in his official residence in Shizuoka City, but his home is in a villa in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by the magnificent nature, he has a large mansion with a site area of 700 tsubo. After his resignation, he will be able to live a comfortable retirement here.

Governor Kawakatsu announced that he would resign in June, and as expected, he was criticized as a “bonus hunter,” since he would receive a full 3.2 million yen bonus if he resigned in June or later.

However, he has changed his attitude and is reportedly planning to submit his resignation on June 10. If he continues to tarnish his reputation, it will have an impact on his “reemployment,”” said a local media source.

It is reported that a publishing company is already considering an offer to write a book on the “dark struggle” with JR over the Linear Line project. The former scholarly figure has no qualms about writing about his own work.

I think he will be asked to give lectures. Although Governor Kawakatsu has had his share of tongue-twisters, he is so popular that he draws crowds when he gives speeches on the streets.

If he resigns as governor, there will be fewer problems with his comments. He has many enthusiastic supporters, and there is a possibility that his lecture fees will start in the triple digits, which is unprecedented,” said a person involved in a wide-ranging TV show.

Even if he quits as governor, his ability to communicate is likely to attract attention–and he is likely to be a popular speaker.