Key Facts
• July 24, 2025: Shigehiro Tanaka, 78, announces candidacy for Ibaraki governor.
• Election date: September 7, 2025; incumbent Kazuhiko Oigawa, 61, seeks third term.
• Tanaka criticizes current administration’s profit-driven policies, calls for resident-focused projects.
• Proposals include abolishing fees for non-urgent ambulance patients and decommissioning Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant.
• Tanaka, former Ibaraki University professor, has run for governor twice before (2013, 2021).
• Political affiliations: Seeks endorsements from Constitutional Democratic Party, Democratic Party for the People, and others.
• Oigawa endorsed by Komeito; Liberal Democratic Party’s local branch seeks party headquarters’ support.
Summary
Shigehiro Tanaka, a former professor at Ibaraki University, has declared his candidacy for the Ibaraki gubernatorial election scheduled for September 7, 2025. Running as an independent, Tanaka, 78, is challenging incumbent Kazuhiko Oigawa, 61, who is seeking a third term. This marks Tanaka’s third attempt at the position, following campaigns in 2013 and 2021. During his announcement, Tanaka criticized the current administration’s focus on profit-driven policies and large-scale developments, advocating instead for public projects that prioritize residents’ daily lives. His platform includes abolishing fees for non-urgent ambulance patients and decommissioning the Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant. Tanaka, co-leader of the political group “Shining Life Ibaraki Association,” is seeking endorsements from multiple opposition parties. Meanwhile, Oigawa has secured support from Komeito, with the Liberal Democratic Party’s local branch requesting backing from its headquarters.
