Hideyo Hanazumi

Hideyo Hanazumi is a Japanese politician serving as the Governor of Niigata Prefecture, following his election 2018 Niigata [gubernatorial election|in June 2018]. Prior to his election, Hanazumi served as a vice commandant in the Japan Coast Guard and as Vice Governor of Niigata.

Governor of Niigata

In the race to become Niigata's governor, Hanazumi was backed by the ruling Liberal [Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party] and Komeito, in a face-off against opposition-backed candidate Chikako Ikeda. Throughout his campaign, Hanazumi tried to distance himself from the ruling coalition, in a bid to gain support from a wider range of voters. The ruling coalition has faced allegations of favoritism involving two school operators. In the election, Hanazumi defeated Ikeda by a narrow 3.4% margin.
In contrast to the pro-nuclear policies of the LDP and Komeito, Hanazumi vowed to maintain a cautious approach to the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa [Nuclear Power Plant], effectively following the policy of his opposition-supported predecessor.
He was re-elected in the 2022 Niigata gubernatorial election.