Photo/Illutration Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto secures his third term in the April 9 election. (Yosuke Sasaki)

SAPPORO—Incumbent Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto, who is pushing Sapporo’s bid to host the 2030 Winter Games, was re-elected here on April 9, despite headwinds against the Olympic campaign.

“We will once again present citizens our plan to host a clean Games in Sapporo and will continue the discussion,” Akimoto, 67, said after his victory was secured. “Eventually, we would like to proceed (with our plan) after confirming the opinions of citizens.”

During the election campaign, Akimoto didn’t mention the Olympic bid much in his speeches, taking into account the bid-rigging and bribery scandals connected to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held in 2021.

Instead, he emphasized his achievements over his two four-year terms, including development of the Hokkaido capital and measures to tackle COVID-19.

Akimoto was challenged by two rookie candidates who opposed the Olympic bid, saying that hosting the Winter Games would be a waste of taxpayer money.

However, the two ended up splitting the anti-Olympic vote.

Sapporo has suspended actively promoting its Olympic bid since the end of last year. But the campaign will resume after Akimoto starts his third term.

CONSERVATIVE SHIFT IN HOKKAIDO?

The Hokkaido gubernatorial election was also won by the incumbent.

“We will raise the value of Hokkaido in the fields of energy, digital and food,” Naomichi Suzuki, who was endorsed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, said after his victory was certain on the night of April 9.

Suzuki, 42, easily defeated three newcomers, including Maki Ikeda, 50, a former Lower House member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Ikeda was endorsed by the CDP and backed by the Japanese Communist Party and other opposition parties.

Nine gubernatorial elections were held across the nation on April 9, but the Hokkaido race was the only one that directly pitted the ruling coalition against the opposition bloc.

The results may give momentum to conservative forces in Hokkaido, which has been considered a liberal stronghold.

The ruling coalition also won the 2021 Lower House election and the 2022 Upper House election.