2023 Osaka mayoral election

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| <- 2019 | 9 April 2023 | 2027 ->

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Turnout| 1,015,766
48.33% (4.37 pp)
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Candidate  | Hideyuki Yokoyama | Taeko Kitano
Party  | One Osaka | Independent
Popular vote  | 655,802 | 268,227
Percentage  | 64.56% | 26.41%
Supported by  | —  | LDP, CDP

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| Mayor of Osaka before election

Ichiro Matsui
One Osaka

| Elected Mayor of Osaka

Hideyuki Yokoyama
One Osaka

|

The 2023 Osaka mayoral election took place on 9 April 2023 as part of the 20th unified local elections to elect the next mayor of Osaka.[1] Incumbent mayor Ichiro Matsui decided not to seek a second term as mayor of Osaka, opting instead to retire from politics at the end of his term. The election resulted in a landslide victory for Hideyuki Yokoyama, the candidate from the Osaka Restoration Association, who secured 64.56% of the vote. Taeko Kitano, who was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party, received 26.41% of the vote.

## Background

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Following the rejection of his proposal to abolish Osaka City and establish an Osaka Metropolis, incumbent mayor Ichiro Matsui announced his intention to retire from politics at the end of his current term.[2] The election was announced on 26 March 2023, to be held on 9 April 2023 in conjunction with elections for the Osaka City Council, the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, and the governor of Osaka Prefecture.[3]

## Candidates

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### Osaka Restoration Association

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#### Declared

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* Satoru Fujita, Osaka City Council member[4]
* Rie Honda, Osaka City Council member[4]
* Kenta Matsunami, Osaka Prefectural Assembly member[4]
* Futoshi Okazaki, Osaka City Council member[4]
* Hideyuki Yokoyama, Osaka Prefectural Assembly member[4]

#### Results

[edit]

Fujita, Honda, and Matsunami were eliminated on 4 November 2022 during an internal Osaka Restoration Society selection meeting.[4] Yokoyama then defeated Okazaki in a runoff election on 10 December 2022.[5]

### Independent

[edit]

#### Declared

[edit]

* Yasuhiko Aramaki, restaurant owner[6]
* Taeko Kitano, Osaka City Council member (backed by Liberal Democratic Party and Constitutional Democratic Party[7])
* Nepensa, author[6]
* Toshihiko Yamazaki, physical therapist[6]

## Results

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### City-wide results

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2019 Osaka mayoral election[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Osaka Restoration Association | Hideyuki Yokoyama | 655,802  | 64.56%  | +6.45
| Independent | Taeko Kitano  | 268,227  | 26.41%  | n/a
| Independent | Toshihiko Yamazaki  | 45,369  | 4.47%  | n/a
| Independent | Yasuhiko Aramaki  | 30,960  | 3.05%  | n/a
| Independent | Nepensa  | 15,408  | 1.52%  | n/a
Total votes | 1,015,766  | 100%
| Osaka Restoration Association hold

### Ward results

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ward name | Hideyuki Yokoyama | Taeko Kitano | Toshihiko Yamazaki | Yasuhiko Aramaki | Nepensa

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Osaka City total | 655,802 | 268,227 | 45,369 | 30,960 | 15,408
Kita Ward | 34,795 | 11,210 | 2,515 | 1,730 | 821
Toshima Ward | 28,607 | 10,485 | 2,097 | 1,632 | 583
Fukushima Ward | 20,303 | 6,783 | 1,335 | 783 | 380
Konohana Ward | 16,057 | 6,557 | 925 | 639 | 404
Chuo Ward | 23,849 | 9,393 | 1,356 | 1,396 | 518
Nishi Ward | 23,622 | 8,653 | 1,251 | 1,198 | 501
Minato Ward | 19,422 | 8,732 | 1,338 | 852 | 474
Taisho District | 15,697 | 6,336 | 986 | 820 | 394
Tennoji Ward | 20,073 | 8,134 | 1,030 | 1,064 | 430
Naniwa Ward | 10,889 | 4,593 | 768 | 662 | 281
Nishiyodogawa Ward | 22,661 | 10,189 | 1,385 | 1,328 | 596
Yodogawa Ward | 41,715 | 20,109 | 1,986 | 1,678 | 884
Higashiyodogawa Ward | 39,868 | 15,792 | 2,450 | 1,767 | 923
Higashinari Ward | 20,702 | 8,130 | 1,773 | 914 | 532
Ikuno Ward | 23,517 | 10,508 | 1,866 | 1,370 | 643
Asahi Ward | 22,734 | 10,444 | 2,794 | 1,102 | 559
Joto Ward | 46,115 | 16,942 | 4,402 | 1,709 | 1,076
Tsurumi Ward | 29,369 | 9,585 | 2,485 | 1,125 | 618
Abeno Ward | 28,697 | 13,719 | 2,595 | 1,286 | 502
Suminoe Ward | 30,191 | 12,771 | 1,773 | 1,700 | 754
Sumiyoshi Ward | 37,080 | 17,645 | 2,313 | 1,748 | 899
Higashi Sumiyoshi Ward | 32,515 | 14,182 | 1,725 | 1,311 | 769
Hirano Ward | 46,733 | 17,490 | 3,063 | 2,249 | 1,283
Nishinari Ward | 20,591 | 9,845 | 1,158 | 897 | 584

All results published by Osaka City.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "980 Races Expected in Japan's Upcoming Local Elections". The Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
2. ^ "Osaka rejects plan to break up city in referendum for 2nd time". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
3. ^ "大阪府大阪市長の選挙一覧 ｜ 選挙ドットコム". 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
4. ^ a b c d e f "維新の大阪市長予備選、最終候補の2人が決まる 12月に党員投票". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
5. ^ "大阪市長選、維新候補に府議の横山英幸氏を選出 「セット戦略」狙う". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
6. ^ a b c d "大阪市長選挙 - 2023年04月09日投票 | 大阪府大阪市". 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-04-11.
7. ^ "Major parties take aim at Osaka Ishin in mayor election". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
8. ^ "大阪市長選挙 開票速報∥大阪市選挙管理委員会". www.city.osaka.lg.jp. Retrieved 2023-04-12.

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