Female Mayor Who Visited 'Love Hotel' with Married Subordinate Re-elected: "Sympathy Votes from Women Flood In"

Ogawa Akira, former mayor, resigned over affair scandal
Wins by-election by 10,000 votes... returns to office
Analysis: Female voters rallied, SNS strategy proved successful

Akira Ogawa, the former mayor (43) of Maebashi City in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, who resigned after being caught visiting love hotels with a married male employee, has been re-elected in a by-election to choose her successor and has returned to office. Japanese media analyzed that "sympathy among female voters played a significant role, and she successfully leveraged the increase in social networking service (SNS) followers caused by the controversy."

Former Mayor Akira Ogawa of Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Screenshot from X (formerly Twitter)

According to local media such as the Asahi Shimbun on January 13, former Mayor Ogawa won the Maebashi mayoral by-election the previous day, defeating candidate Akira Maruyama by approximately 10,000 votes. This election was held due to former Mayor Ogawa's own mid-term resignation resulting from her inappropriate conduct.

Caught Entering a Hotel With a Married Employee... Resigned, Then Won Re-election

Ogawa was first elected as the first female mayor of Maebashi in 2024. As a progressive female mayor elected in the conservative stronghold of Gunma Prefecture, she quickly became a prominent political figure. However, the fact that the single Mayor Ogawa visited love hotels ten times with a married male executive became public last year, causing a major scandal. Public outrage intensified when it was revealed that she visited a hotel even on a day when a record-breaking heavy rain warning was issued in Gunma Prefecture.

At the time, Ogawa admitted, "It was highly inappropriate to go to the hotel," but explained, "It was not a romantic relationship. We simply wanted a place to discuss work comfortably, without worrying about being seen." Although she initially intended to continue her duties, she ultimately submitted her resignation in November last year under strong pressure from the city council, which included a recommendation to resign and a push for a no-confidence motion.

Former Mayor Akira Ogawa. Instagram capture

'Turnaround' Driven by Female Voters

Analysts say that the decisive factor in this by-election was the votes of female voters. According to local media, during the campaign, Ogawa toured downtown shopping districts every evening to deliver street speeches, and women in their 30s and 40s visibly rallied around her.

Among female voters, reactions included, "A conservative city like Maebashi needs a female leader," "There are many more male politicians who have done worse," and "She made a mistake, but she took responsibility." Some interpret her public apologies and bowed head after the controversy as having evoked sympathy. The Asahi Shimbun commented on the result, saying, "Notoriety triumphed over anonymity."

Her election strategy of utilizing SNS also proved effective. Following the scandal, Ogawa's followers on X (formerly Twitter) increased to about 14,000-five times more than before-and her Instagram followers surpassed 20,000. By communicating directly with her supporters online, she raised her profile, which analysts say translated into tangible mobilization during the election.

Controversy Likely to Continue for Now

However, the controversy surrounding her return is unlikely to subside soon. Opponents of Ogawa's reinstatement have voiced criticism, saying, "Were there really no other candidates?" "Are the citizens really that foolish?" "Maebashi is full of fools," "I couldn't believe my eyes," "Is this the extent of Japanese ethics and morals?" "This is an utterly unacceptable election result," and "Did she get elected just because she is a woman?"

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