Kitaakita elections

Kitaakita City has held mayoral elections in April every four years since 2005, the year of its establishment.
City mayors
# | Mayor | Term | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Susumu Kishibe 岸部 陞 |
2005 - 2009 (1 term) |
Mayor of Takanosu Town 2003-2005 |
2 | Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
2009 - present (5 terms) |
Incumbent |
2025 mayoral election
Elections took place on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
Incumbent Eikoh Tsuya defeated newcomer Takashi Abukawa to win his 5th term. This was the first mayoral election in Kitaakita in 12 years.
Abukawa had previously served as a city councilor in Kitaakita City.
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Supported by | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
73 | Incumbent | Independent | Komeito | 9,602 | 60.7% |
Takashi Abukawa 虻川 敬 |
52 | New | Independent | - | 6,215 | 39.3% |
169 ballots were declared invalid.
(source)
2021 mayoral election
The election was scheduled to be held on April 4th, 2021. However only one contender announced candidacy, so the election was called without a vote.
Incumbent Eikoh Tsuya ran unopposed. He won his 4th term.
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
69 | Incumbent | Independent | - |
(source)
2017 mayoral election
The election was scheduled to be held on April 9th, 2017. However only one contender announced candidacy, so the election was called without a vote.
Incumbent Eikoh Tsuya ran unopposed. He won his 3rd term.
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
65 | Incumbent | Independent | - |
(source)
2013 mayoral election
Elections took place on April 7, 2013.
Incumbent Eikoh Tsuya defeated newcomer Motoharu Narita to win his 2nd term.
Narita had formerly served as administrative director of Yonaizawa General Hospital (currently Yonaizawa Medical Office)
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
61 | Incumbent | Independent | 14,673 | 72.2% |
Motoharu Narita 成田 元晴 |
63 | New | Independent | 5,641 | 27.8% |
(source)
2009 mayoral election
Elections took place on April 12, 2009.
Incumbent mayor Susumu Kishibe retired at the end of his term, so this election was decided between two newcomers. Eikoh Tsuya defeated Tetsu Iwakawa to become the second mayor of Kitaakita.
Tsuya had previously served as a prefectural assemblyman, affiliated with the LDP.
Iwakawa had previously served three terms as the mayor of Takanosu Town, losing in the 2003 mayoral elections to Susumu Kishibe.
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eikoh Tsuya 津谷 永光 |
57 | New | Independent | 17,916 | 68.5% |
Tetsu Iwakawa 岩川 徹 |
60 | New | Independent | 8,243 | 31.5% |
(source)
2005 mayoral election
Elections took place on April 17, 2005.
This was the first mayoral election held following the establishment of Kitaakita City. Susumu Kishibe defeated Mitsuko Kozuka to become the first mayor of Kitaakita.
Susumu Kishibe was the incumbent mayor of Takanosu Town at the time of its merger into Kitaakita City.
Mayoral duties were temporarily fulfilled by Shusuke Sato, the incumbent mayor of Aikawa Town, in the period between Kitaakita City's founding on March 22 and the election of Kishibe on April 17. Sato would go on to serve as deputy mayor under Kishibe.
Mitsuko Kozuka had previously served as a town councilor in Takanosu Town.
Candidate | Age | Position | Affiliation | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Susumu Kishibe 岸部 陞 |
68 | New | Independent | 17,056 | 65.4% |
Mitsuko Kozuka 小塚 光子 |
58 | New | Independent | 9,030 | 34.6% |
(source)(source)(source)(source)
Incumbent mayors pre-merger
The following is the list of incumbent mayors of each of the four towns which merged to form Kitaakita at the time of merger.
In Takanosu, Susumu Kishibe resolutely defeated incumbent mayor Tetsu Iwakawa (岩川 徹) in 2003 to win his first term (9,294 to 6,174). Iwakawa ran on a platform opposing the merger of Takanosu with Aikawa Town, Moriyoshi Town, and Ani Town into Kitaakita City. Iwakawa had served three terms (12 years).
In Moriyoshi, Kondo Ken'ichiro ran unopposed in 2004, winning without an election. The incumbent mayor, Kyutaro Matsuhashi (松橋 久太郎), resigned at the end of his term. Matsuhashi had served three terms (12 years).
In Ani, newcomer Sho(Akira?) Hamada defeated fellow newcomer Seiichi Kobayashi (小林 精一) by a single vote (1,475 to 1,474). Hiroyasu Yamada (山田 博康) came in a distant third (552 votes). This election followed the resignation of incumbent mayor Imai (今井 乙麿) at the end of his term. Imai had served three terms (12 years). Hamada ran as an independent.
In Aikawa, Shusuke Sato defeated incumbent mayor Yotaro Kaneta (金田 陽太郎) in 2002 to win his first term. Both candidates ran as independents. Kaneta had served two terms (8 years).
Town | Name | Age | Elected | Term |
---|---|---|---|---|
Takanosu | Susumu Kishibe 岸部 陞 |
68 | April 27, 2003 | 1st |
Moriyoshi | Kondo Ken'ichiro 近藤 健一郎 |
49 | October 26, 2004* | 1st |
Ani | Sho(?) Hamada 濱田 章 |
79 | June 24, 2001 | 1st? |
Aikawa | Shusuke Sato 佐藤 修助 |
61 | December 23, 2002 | 1st? |
* Date candidacy announced; ran unopposed (no election).
See also
Kitaakita City | ||
---|---|---|
Top Page | Kitaakita City | |
Former Municipalities | Takanosu • Moriyoshi • Ani • Aikawa | |
Sightseeing | Yasu-no-Taki Falls • Mt. Moriyoshi • Moriyoshi Tire Man • Hokuōnomori Park | |
Skiing/Snowboarding | Ani Ski Resort • Yakushizan Ski Area • Moriyoshi Ski Resort | |
Food and Drink | Doburoku | |
Transport | Takanosu-Odate Bus Schedule • JR Ōu Line • Akita Nairiku Line • Odate-Noshiro Airport | |
Driving | Roadside Stations | Takanosu • Odate-Noshiro Airport • Ani |
Roads | Route 7 • Route 105 | |
Living | Education in Kitaakita • Kitaakita garbage collection • Kitaakita elections |