Overview
- Fukui Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto acknowledged sending text messages viewed as sexual harassment, apologized to the recipient, and announced his resignation in remarks to the prefectural assembly on Nov. 26.
- Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa submitted a resignation letter over a hotel-visit scandal, with the city assembly set to vote on Nov. 27 and a by-election to follow within 50 days of formal notice if accepted.
- The Tokyo High Court ordered Shinchosha to pay roughly ¥3 million to Komeito and former lawmaker Masashi Kumano, reversing a lower-court ruling and finding parts of a Shukan Shincho article unsubstantiated and defamatory.
- Political fund reports show LDP Upper House member Tsuneo Kitamura’s groups paid at least ¥22.24 million from 2016–23 to two companies led by his policy secretary for printing and postage, a practice that is legal but invites ‘insider spending’ scrutiny.
- Higashikagura Town will raise water rates by 23% and sewer fees by 49% from FY2026 due to rising costs; a full recount in Kamisu confirmed both mayoral candidates at 16,724 votes, keeping the lot-drawn result; Hokkaido police are probing a ¥25 million crypto romance scam and arrested a 53-year-old woman in an Asahikawa hit-and-run case.