A former mayor who quit her job amid a scandal over an alleged affair with a married subordinate has staged a political comeback in Japan, in a result analysts say shows how attitudes towards women in public life are shifting.
Akira Ogawa, 43, was re-elected as mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma prefecture, on Monday, mere months after resigning under intense public pressure.
Running as an independent, Ogawa secured nearly 63,000 votes – around 10,000 more than her closest challenger – decisively winning a five-way race.
Voter turnout rose to over 47 per cent, nearly 8 percentage points higher than in the previous election.
A room in a “love hotel” in Tokyo. “Love hotels” are short-stay lodgings commonly used by couples in Japan. Photo: AFP