Key Facts
• July 28, Mayor Maki Takubo (55) announced a complaint hotline via X (formerly Twitter).
• Hotline includes email and phone for direct feedback on personal matters.
• Takubo pledged to review all submissions personally.
• Complaint form requires name, residence (inside/outside Ito City), and content details.
• Takubo plans a press conference on July 31 to address her resignation.
• She previously indicated intent to resign by the end of July.
• Takubo refused to testify before the city council’s special investigation committee.
• She cited insufficient justification from the committee for her non-attendance.
• Takubo’s profile falsely claimed a degree from Toyo University; she was expelled.
• Ito City Council unanimously passed a resignation recommendation on July 7.
• A special committee was formed to investigate the false academic claims.
• Takubo assumed office on May 29, 2025.
Summary
Maki Takubo, the mayor of Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, has launched a complaint hotline to address public concerns amid allegations of academic fraud. The hotline, announced on July 28 via X (formerly Twitter), includes an email and phone number for direct feedback. Takubo promised to personally review all submissions. The complaint form, created by her support group, requires basic personal details and feedback content. Facing scrutiny over her false claim of graduating from Toyo University, Takubo plans to hold a press conference on July 31 to clarify her resignation plans, which she previously indicated would occur by the end of July. She has refused to testify before the city council’s special investigation committee, citing inadequate justification for her attendance. The council had unanimously passed a resignation recommendation on July 7 following revelations of her academic misrepresentation. Takubo, who took office on May 29, 2025, continues to face public and political pressure over the controversy.
