# 須田慎一郎「統一地方選挙に向け政治団体が続々誕生！」10月8日

- Show: 上泉雄一のええなぁ！
- Published: 2026-10-07
- Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/1588682529_4d932b79a8e4.html
- Audio: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/MBSINC8924480012.mp3
- Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary.

With Japan's spring 2027 unified local elections approaching, former House of Representatives member Ichiro Ozawa has signaled he may form a new political grouping before year's end. Political journalist Shinichiro Suda explained how the sweeping party realignments triggered by the February 2026 general election are now reverberating through local politics, citing the Okinawa gubernatorial race and the chaotic Fukuoka mayoral field as concrete examples. The relocation of Shinji Ishimaru to Fukuoka and the passage of a sub-capital promotion law are also reshaping next spring's electoral map.

## What this episode answers

### What moves is Ichiro Ozawa making ahead of the unified local elections?

On October 6, Ozawa told Nikkei that he is considering forming a new political group 'before the end of this year' timed to the unified local elections, signaling intent to maintain influence over local assemblies and mayoral races as groundwork for the next general election; he has not yet stated whether it would be a formal party.

### How is the fallout from the February 2026 general election showing up in local politics?

The major realignment — in which Komeito switched to the opposition and aligned with the CDP — has since seen repeated mergers and splits; locally, independent coalitions have formed outside the national framework, as illustrated by Okinawa's gubernatorial race, where Ishin, the DPP, Nihon Hoshuto, and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter backed the LDP-endorsed incumbent while the CDP backed the opposing candidate.

### Where is Shinji Ishimaru now, what is he doing, and how is he expected to move forward?

Ishimaru is currently working as Kyushu bureau chief of the YouTube channel 'ReHack' and has relocated his home base to Fukuoka; amid a crowded mayoral race there and his close relationship with Osaka Governor Yoshimura, he is reportedly still carefully deliberating his next move.

### Why is it considered essential for a new political party's leader to run in the election themselves?

Suda cited Ishimaru's earlier campaign in which he fielded many endorsed candidates but did not stand himself, resulting in almost no support — without the prominent figure running personally, public interest in the party cannot be sustained.

### How will the passage of the Sub-Capital Promotion Act affect next spring's unified local elections?

With Osaka, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hokkaido, and other municipalities vying for sub-capital status, Suda predicted that 'what functions and political structure to build as a sub-capital' will become a central issue in each region's unified local elections.

## Article

## Ozawa Hints at Forming a New Group

According to the Nikkei Shimbun, former House of Representatives member Ichiro Ozawa (小沢一郎) responded to questions from senior members of his parliamentary group 'Isseikai' on October 6, indicating he is weighing the formation of a new political grouping ahead of the spring 2027 unified local elections. He was quoted as saying: 'I am considering various options. If it is about a new group for the unified local elections, then before the end of this year.'

Political journalist Shinichiro Suda (須田慎一郎) analyzed the move by Ozawa — long nicknamed 'the destroyer of the political world' — who continues to push for a new organization even as he has struggled to win elections himself. Suda read the aim as 'exerting influence over local assemblies and gubernatorial races as groundwork for the next general election.'

## The 2026 General Election and Its Ripple Effects on Local Politics

The February 2026 general election set off a sweeping realignment: Komeito, long a pillar of the ruling coalition, crossed to the opposition and aligned with the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) — parties that had once fiercely opposed each other. The partnership has since fractured and reformed repeatedly.

Suda stressed that 'national politics and local politics do not necessarily align.' Local logic prevails at the prefectural and municipal level, and governing coalitions often take shape independently of national party relationships.

Okinawa's gubernatorial race is a textbook illustration. Nippon Ishin no Kai, the Democratic Party for the People, Nihon Hoshuto, and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter all rallied behind the LDP-backed incumbent governor, while the CDP sided with the opposing candidate — a lineup completely at odds with the national coalition picture.

## New Parties, New Forces, and the 'Face' Problem

The segment also highlighted a move by a popular internet commentator — transcribed in the broadcast as 'Hiroki-san' or 'Hiroyuki-san,' with the exact name unclear — and Fusaho Izumi (泉房穂), the former mayor of Akashi who now serves in the Diet, to launch a regional party together. Izumi had historically been close to the old CDP but deliberately maintained an independent position. As the CDP shifted toward a centrist, internationally oriented direction and then fractured, he chose to go his own way.

Suda offered a cautionary note, however. 'If the person drawing all the attention does not run in the election themselves, the party will not gain momentum' — this, he said, is an iron rule. He pointed to a previous campaign in which Ishimaru fielded a large number of endorsed candidates but did not stand himself, winning almost no support, and warned that the new grouping risked 'making the same mistake.'

## Where Shinji Ishimaru Stands Now, and Fukuoka's Turbulent Politics

Shinji Ishimaru (石丸伸二), who rose to national prominence during the Tokyo gubernatorial race, is now active as Kyushu bureau chief of the YouTube channel 'ReHack' (リハック) and has relocated his home base to Fukuoka. Suda revealed that Ishimaru and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura (吉村洋文) share a notably close relationship, adding that he himself hosted the pair in conversation on an online program. Yoshimura is said to be actively courting Ishimaru, but Ishimaru is reportedly still 'carefully deliberating' his next move.

In Fukuoka, incumbent Mayor Soichiro Takashima (高島宗一郎) has announced he will not seek re-election in the next unified mayoral election, triggering a scramble among more than ten prospective candidates. Meanwhile, the Fukuoka prefectural assembly has seen the LDP lose substantial seats amid a voter backlash, with Nippon Ishin no Kai moving to fill the vacuum.

## The Sub-Capital Promotion Act and New Flashpoints in the Unified Local Elections

Following the passage of legislation promoting a sub-capital framework in the Diet, multiple local governments — including Osaka, Aichi, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido — have put themselves forward as candidates for the role. Suda noted that next spring's unified local elections will see 'what functions and political structure to build as a sub-capital' emerge as a major issue in each of these regions.

In closing, Suda remarked: 'National politics has its role; local politics has its own. Local elections are directly tied to people's daily lives, yet voter turnout remains low — and that creates fertile ground for scandals to go unnoticed.' He called on voters to take a stronger interest in local politics.

## Takeaways

- Ichiro Ozawa is considering launching a new political grouping before year's end, using the 2027 unified local elections as a stepping stone toward the next general election.
- Post-2026 general election realignments are rippling into local politics, but local coalitions are forming on their own terms, independent of national party configurations.
- Shinji Ishimaru has relocated to Fukuoka and his close ties with Osaka Governor Yoshimura are drawing attention as his role in the upcoming unified local elections remains undecided.