Atsumi Harasawa elected Yokohama mayor, defeating former mayor amid abuse scandal

In Yokohama’s recent mayoral election, independent lawyer Atsumi Harasawa emerged victorious, defeating a field of six candidates that included ex-mayor Takeharu Yamanaka. Yamanaka had resigned last month after admitting to bullying and a July investigation found he used demeaning language toward subordinates. Harasawa’s campaign was supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its junior coalition partner the Japan Innovation Party, the opposition Democratic Party for the People and city council members of Komeito.

Though running without a party label, she promised to restart policies halted by the abuse case, leveraging her background as an external board member for several corporations. The election follows a series of recent local-government scandals across Japan, such as bribery allegations in Fukuoka and a suicide-linked abuse claim against Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito. Harasawa’s win signals a shift toward restoring governance credibility in the nation’s second-largest city.