Ehime Prefecture holds its gubernatorial election on Nov. 15, with voting and same-day counting. Three candidates are running, all as independents: Hiroshi Miyazawa, 51, a former member of the House of Representatives; the incumbent, Tokihiro Nakamura, 66; and Tsukasa Wada, 74, the secretary-general of a citizens' group.
Miyazawa: 'Reset Ehime once more'
Miyazawa, a Shizuoka Prefecture native with no prior ties to Ehime, said he decided to run after acquaintances in the prefecture told him that the incumbent's long tenure had produced ill effects. He argues that criticism of the governor has become difficult and that people cannot speak freely.
“We have to reset Ehime once more.”Hiroshi Miyazawa, independent candidate for governor
He calls for raising the prefecture's appeal so that tourists come, local products sell, young people find work and more people move in. His pledges include stepping down after two four-year terms to prevent a concentration of power, personally leading sales of Ehime products, attracting tourists and doubling residents' income. Without an organization or organizational backing, he said he will fight what he called an air campaign, using social media to build recognition.
Nakamura: a fifth term, and a record
Nakamura is seeking a fifth term. A win would tie the most election victories in Ehime prefectural politics. He has the backing of the mayors' and towns' associations, the prefectural Liberal Democratic Party and business groups, and is running an organization-based campaign.
At a kickoff rally in Imabari, he told local Mayor Tokunaga and LDP members of the Diet that shipbuilding and shipping are part of the picture, and that bringing people in would raise recognition of the towel industry, a mainstay, and make sales easier to plan. He promises to halt population decline and make Ehime a place young people and women choose, by raising the appeal of manufacturing, revitalizing local economies and attracting data centers suited to the AI era.
Asked about his prospects, Nakamura said the campaign builds on accumulated work and that the problems are visible. He said he would offer prescriptions and a vision for the future, drawing on his own store of answers because conditions differ from region to region.
The race is being fought without national party labels on the ballot, and the candidates' support bases differ sharply: one relies on organized backing, another on social media and name recognition.