"11 Years of Adultery" Yet Wins 4th Term... "This Is Japan's Level"

Kuroiwa Yuji "I Will Regain Trust While Working"
Voters "Ashamed and Devastated... Should Step Down Voluntarily"

A controversy has arisen as a governor of a Japanese prefecture won an overwhelming victory in the recent local elections despite revelations of immoral behavior, including an 11-year extramarital affair. This has led to voices of self-reflection within Japan, with people expressing feelings of shame and despair.

According to local media such as the Japanese outlet 'Nikkan Gendai' on the 11th, on the 9th, elections for governors of nine prefectures and prefectural assembly members in 41 prefectures were held simultaneously in Japan.

Governor Yuji Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture. [Image source=Yuji Kuroiwa Facebook]

Yuji Kuroiwa (68), governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, the second most populous metropolitan area in Japan, secured 1,933,753 votes on that day, defeating three other candidates and winning a fourth term. Located south of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture has Yokohama, the largest port in Tokyo Bay, as its prefectural capital.

Following the confirmation of Kuroiwa's fourth term, strong criticism poured in on online communities and elsewhere. This was because he achieved an overwhelming victory despite the extramarital affair scandal emerging just before the election.

Japanese netizens reacted with comments such as, "The fact that such a politician was elected shows the low level of Japanese politicians," "Kuroiwa should resign himself. We can never have any favorable feelings toward him," "He won now, but can he maintain his four-year term?" and "It will be a thorny path ahead."

Governor Yuji Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture. [Image source=Yuji Kuroiwa Facebook]

Earlier, the weekly news magazine Shukan Bunshun reported on the 5th that a woman identified as A, who had been in an extramarital relationship with Governor Kuroiwa from 2000 to 2011, made revelations.

The publication reported on obscene emails Kuroiwa sent to Ms. A. The emails contained explicit sexual content and even requests for purchasing adult videos. Governor Kuroiwa admitted to the affair and apologized the day after the report was published.

Although the controversy did not easily subside, he won a fourth term in the local elections held on the 9th, leading the second-place candidate by about 1.3 million votes. After his victory, Kuroiwa said, "I want to regain the lost trust through my work."

However, Japanese media also focused on Kuroiwa's election with headlines such as "The worst election in Japan," "Flood of complaint calls to the prefectural office over Kuroiwa's 11-year affair," and "Embarrassed residents over Kuroiwa's victory."

Some argued that although Kuroiwa had problems, there was no other choice. Netizens commented, "There was no one else to choose besides Kuroiwa," and "Even if Kuroiwa is unfit as governor, the other candidates were not suitable either. In the end, the reality is that people had no choice but to vote again for Kuroiwa, who was recognized for his abilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.