Western Japan Mayor to Seek Successor Candidates via Website

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)--Shuhei Azuma, mayor of the western Japan city of Shijonawate, said Wednesday that he plans to use a job-search website run by en Japan Inc. to publicly seek candidates to be his successor.

According to the company, it will be the first time for candidates of a local government leader to be publicly solicited through a private human resources service.

At a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, the mayor of the city in Osaka Prefecture said he will not run in the next mayoral election set for Dec. 22.

Potential successors to Azuma will be sought via en Japan's "Middle no Tenshoku" website targeting midcareer professionals in their 30s or 40s and elsewhere until Oct. 15.

Azuma will establish a political group to select a candidate through document screenings and interviews as early as late October. After the selection, he will support the person in the mayoral election and city administration.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]