Official campaigning for the Shizuoka gubernatorial election began Thursday, with the outcome likely to decide the future of Japan's beleaguered high-speed maglev train project that was delayed by opposition from the outgoing governor.
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu has been an outspoken critic of Central Japan Railway Co.'s Linear Chuo Shinkansen, citing environmental concerns as his reason for opposing the project. The line from Tokyo to Osaka is planned to pass through a short section of Shizuoka Prefecture's north with trains traveling up to 500 kilometers per hour.
The line's first leg from Tokyo to Nagoya was originally planned to open in 2027, but the company conceded on March 29 that it had abandoned hopes of hitting the target amid long-running opposition from Shizuoka Prefecture.
Among the six candidates running for the May 26 election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed Shinichi Omura, 60, has pledged to show results within a year from talks to resolve the maglev issue.
Yasutomo Suzuki, 66, approved by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Democratic Party for the People, is also pledging to make progress on the rail link.
The Japanese Communist Party's candidate Daisuke Mori, 55, is calling for construction work to be suspended, citing the recent emergence of remote work as reducing the need for high-speed rail links.
On April 3, Kawakatsu abruptly announced his intention to step down amid controversy over remarks he made to inductee civil servants that denigrated the intelligence of physical laborers such as agricultural workers.
His decision came days after Central Japan Railway, or JR Central, confirmed it had given up on the 2027 target.
Kawakatsu said his choice was also informed by the rail project delay, saying he had "achieved a major objective of my duty."
The maglev train project was intended to roll out in two phases, with the Nagoya leg set for 2027 and the Osaka extension in 2037. There are no plans for the trains to stop in Shizuoka.
JR Central has said the new line could bring economic benefits from faster transit times, and serve as a vital backup in the event of disasters from powerful earthquakes involving potential tsunami that could affect rail lines nearer the coast.
Apart from transportation issues, the vote is another test of public opinion about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and comes after his LDP lost three House of Representatives seats in by-elections on April 28 amid fallout from a slush funds scandal within the ruling party.
The other three candidates in the gubernatorial race are Masafumi Yokoyama, 56, the head of a local political group, and independents Takeshi Murakami, 73, and Satomi Hamanaka, 62.
