Aichi Prefecture's next gubernatorial election will be held on Feb 7, its election committee decided on the 10th, with a candidate from a regional tax-cut party already declared and the four-term incumbent yet to announce his intentions.
The vote follows the end of Governor Hideaki Omura's current term on Feb 14. Candidates will be formally registered on Jan 21, and a briefing for prospective contenders will be held on Dec 23, CBC TV reported.
A challenger from outside the major parties
Masakazu Noguchi, the president of an advertising company, has announced he will run with the backing of Genzei Nippon, a regional party whose name means "tax cut Japan."
Omura, now in his fourth term, has not made his position public. His indecision leaves open the prospect of a genuine contest in a prefecture that is home to Toyota and much of Japan's auto industry.