Overview

• Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda said voting for Democratic for the People chief Yuichiro Tamaki in the prime ministerial designation is an option and urged policy talks to find common ground.
• DPJ Secretary-General Jun Azumi argued that balking over one or two policy gaps shows a lack of resolve, while Tamaki maintained that agreement on key areas such as security and energy is required.
• Saga City’s incumbent mayor Hidetaka Sakai won a second term without a vote after no challengers filed, marking the city’s first uncontested mayoral election since 2017.
• In Ito, Shizuoka, 30 candidates filed for 20 council seats, with 26 saying they will support reintroducing a no-confidence motion; a two-thirds attendance and majority vote at the Oct. 31 special session would force the mayor’s removal after the Oct. 19 poll.
• Following a Supreme Court overhaul of record-keeping procedures last year, courts nationwide designated 3,115 case files for special preservation, a sharp increase after past disposal controversies.