Maebashi Mayor Resigns amid Hotel Scandal

Maebashi, Gunma Pref., Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)--Akira Ogawa, mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, eastern Japan, is set to resign on Thursday following a scandal involving repeated visits to a hotel with a married male subordinate.

At a plenary meeting the same day, the city assembly with 38 seats and one vacancy unanimously approved the resignation of Ogawa, 42.

"It was a tough decision I made after much deliberation," she told the meeting. "I decided that it would be best to take responsibility for my actions by leaving the mayor's office."

She submitted the resignation to the assembly leader, Kimitaka Tomita, on Tuesday.

Under the public offices election law, a mayoral election must be held within 50 days from the day after the local assembly head, who has received an offer of resignation, notifies the local election board. Ogawa has expressed interest in running for the mayoralty again.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]