2024 Kyoto mayoral election

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| <- 2020 | 4 February 2024 | 2028 ->

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JCP

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Candidate  | Koji Matsui | Kazuto Fukuyama
Party  | Independent | Independent
Popular vote  | 177,454 | 161,203
Percentage  | 37.92% | 34.44%
Supported by  | LDP, CDP, Komeito, DPP | JCP

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IND

Candidate  | Shōei Murayama  | Shinji Ninoyu
Party  | Independent | Independent
Popular vote  | 72,613  | 54,430
Percentage  | 15.52%  | 11.63%

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Results by Ward
Matsui: 30-40% 40-50%
Fukuyama: 30-40%

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| Mayor before election

Daisaku Kadokawa
Independent

| Elected Mayor

Koji Matsui
Independent

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The 2024 Kyoto mayoral election was held on February 4, 2024. Incumbent mayor Daisaku Kadokawa did not run for fifth term. Former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koji Matsui won by a slim margin of 3.48% against challengers Kazuto Fukuyama, Shōei Murayama, and Shinji Ninoyu, two of which had run in the previous 2020 election.

## Overview[edit]

The election was held upon the expiration of Daisaku Kadokawa's term as mayor. As Kadokawa opted against running for a fifth term,[1] this was the first time since 2008 that no incumbent had run in the election. Koji Matsui, who had previous served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Hatoyama Cabinet from 2009 to 2010, was supported by a coalition of governmental and non-governmental political groups, including the LDP, CDP, Komeito, and the DPP.[2] Kazuto Fukuyama, who had run for mayor in 2020 with the JCPs backing, received support from the party again.[2] Also running was former 2020 and 2008 candidate Shōei Murayama, Independent and former Kyoto Prefectural Assembly member Shinji Ninoyu, and Heian Conservative Party candidate Yu Kouke.

## Campaigning[edit]

Campaigning centered around the overtourism of Kyoto, and the financial crisis the city was facing. Matsui campaigned utilizing solutions to the tourism issue, including introducing a new two-tiered transportation system for tourists and non-tourists. He also advertised via using his advancements as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary. The LDP was heavily disengaged from his campaign, and he primarily utilized CDP opposition leaders, including Kenta Izumi, who served as a personal friend of Matsui. Fukuyama utilized the LDP endorsement of Matsui to attack him by highlighting the slush fund scandal the party had been facing, and also advertising the construction of a new social welfare system and attempting to deal with both the budget crisis and overtourism as well.[2][3]

## Candidates[edit]

In order of notification of candidacy:

Candidate | Age | Party | Title

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Kazuto Fukuyama | 62 | Independent
(Backed by JCP) | Lawyer
Former candidate for Mayor
Shōei Murayama | 45 | Independent | Former Kyoto City Councilor
Kyoto Party [ja] Policy Advisor
Shinji Ninoyu | 44 | Independent | Former Kyoto Prefectural Assembly Member
Koji Matsui | 63 | Independent
(Backed by LDP, CDP, Komeito, DPP) | Former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Former Member of the House of Councillors
Yu Kouke | 35 | Heian Conservative Party | Businessman

## Results[edit]

Candidate| Party| Votes| %| +/–

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| Koji Matsui| Independent, LDP, CDP, Komeito, DPP| 177,454| 37.92| N/A
| Kazuto Fukuyama| Independent, JCP| 161,203| 34.44| –0.16
| Shōei Murayama| Independent| 72,613| 15.52| –4.79
| Shinji Ninoyu| Independent| 54,430| 11.63| N/A
| Yu Kouke| Heian Conservative| 2,316| 0.49| N/A
Total| 468,016| 100.00| –
Valid votes| 468,016| 98.64|
Invalid/blank votes| 6,455| 1.36|
Total votes| 474,471| 100.00|
Registered voters/turnout| 1,138,567| 41.67| +0.96
Source: Kyoto City Council, NHK
Votes by Ward[4] Ward  | Koji Matsui  | Kazuto Fukuyama  | Shōei Murayama  | Shinji Ninoyu  | Yu Kouke

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Votes  | %  | Votes  | %  | Votes  | %  | Votes  | %  | Votes  | %
Total  | 177,454 | 37.92% | 161,203 | 34.44% | 72,613 | 15.52% | 54,430 | 11.63% | 2,316 | 0.49%
Kita | 14,648 | 36.14% | 15,184 | 37.46% | 6,188 | 15.27% | 4,355 | 10.75% | 155 | 0.38%
Kamigyō | 10,333 | 36.16% | 10,558 | 36.95% | 4,405 | 15.42% | 3,160 | 11.06% | 116 | 0.41%
Sakyō | 18,733 | 31.70% | 23,153 | 39.18% | 12,661 | 21.43% | 4,291 | 7.26% | 253 | 0.43%
Nakagyō | 15,315 | 38.55% | 13,174 | 33.16% | 6,333 | 15.94% | 4,692 | 11.81% | 211 | 0.53%
Higashiyama | 4,331 | 37.61% | 3,971  | 34.48%  | 1,926  | 16.72%  | 1,216  | 10.56%  | 72  | 0.63%
Yamashina | 16,921 | 42.26% | 12,974  | 32.40%  | 5,832  | 14.56%  | 4,109  | 10.26%  | 206  | 0.51%
Shimogyō | 10,058 | 38.28% | 8,527  | 32.45%  | 4,468  | 17.01%  | 3,099  | 11.79%  | 122  | 0.46%
Minami | 11,686 | 40.99% | 9,310  | 32.66%  | 4,172  | 14.63%  | 3,145  | 11.03%  | 195  | 0.68%
Ukyō | 23,101 | 34.44% | 21,804  | 32.50%  | 9,551  | 14.24%  | 12,358  | 18.42%  | 271  | 0.40%
Nishikyō | 19,036 | 39.44% | 15,766  | 32.67%  | 7,375  | 15.28%  | 5,840  | 12.10%  | 246  | 0.51%
Fushimi | 33,292 | 42.46% | 26,782  | 34.16%  | 9,702  | 12.37%  | 8,165  | 10.41%  | 469  | 0.60%

## References[edit]

1. ^ "門川京都市長、不出馬の意向 来年の市長選 4期で退任へ 23日夕、正式表明｜社会｜地域のニュース｜京都新聞". 京都新聞 (in Japanese). 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
2. ^ a b c "Koji Matsui Wins 1st Term as Kyoto Mayor". Japan News. Jiji Press. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
3. ^ Johnston, Eric. "New Kyoto mayor aims to tackle over-tourism with higher fares". japantimes. Japan Times. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
4. ^ 京都市長選｜地方選挙｜NHK選挙WEB