マイあさ! 午前5時のNHKニュース 2026年10月19日
The October 19, 2026 edition of NHK Radio's "My Morning!" 5 a.m. news reported that attorney Harasawa Atsumi (原沢厚美) won the Yokohama mayoral election, filling the vacancy left by former mayor Yamanaka who resigned over a power harassment scandal. Other top stories included the ongoing salvage of a JASDF Global Hawk drone off Tottori Prefecture, the start of Diet deliberations on a food consumption tax reduction bill, a major Ukrainian drone strike on St. Petersburg, and golfer Hosono Yusaku's (細野裕作) Japan Open victory — the first by a left-handed player in 45 years.
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What this episode answers
Who won the Yokohama mayoral election, and what was the background?
Attorney Harasawa Atsumi (59, independent) won with 552,207 votes, backed by local organizations of the LDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai, Democratic Party for the People, and Komeito; she drew wide support from unaffiliated voters and easily outpaced former mayor Yamanaka Takeharu (199,746 votes) and Fukuyama Atsushi (230,418 votes), with turnout at 45.56%, up 3.92 points from 2025.
How far has the salvage of the crashed JASDF Global Hawk progressed?
A section of the fuselage of the Misawa-based Global Hawk — which crashed off Tottori Prefecture on September 15 — was recovered from the seabed on October 17 at a site roughly 50 km offshore at a depth of 200–300 meters; salvage work is expected to continue until early next month, after which the wreckage will be transported to Misawa Air Base for accident analysis.
What positions are the ruling and opposition parties taking on the food consumption tax reduction bill?
The ruling coalition is signaling flexibility, with LDP Acting Secretary-General Hagiuda (萩生田) saying the party would 'correct what needs correcting'; DPP Secretary-General Shinba (榛葉) proposed local resident tax cuts to return roughly ¥50,000 to working-age households, warning of an effective 7% increase for the middle class in two years; opposition parties are demanding clarity on funding sources and eligibility criteria for income-linked relief.
What kind of attack did Ukraine carry out on St. Petersburg, and what damage resulted?
Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast on October 18: one person was killed and five injured in St. Petersburg, with fires at an oil terminal and damage to e-commerce giant Ozon's logistics center; in Leningrad Oblast, a power substation, apartment buildings, and VKontakte's data center were struck, 145 drones were shot down, and Russian state media called it the largest-ever attack on the oblast.
How did Hosono Yusaku win his first Japan Open title?
Hosono started from the lead, birdied the par-5 4th and chipped in at the par-4 8th to gain two strokes in the front nine, then ground out five birdies against five bogeys despite consecutive bogeys on 17 and 18, finishing at 13 under par for his first Japan Open title and the first left-handed victory at the event in 45 years.
Yokohama Mayoral Election: Harasawa Atsumi Wins First Term
Attorney Harasawa Atsumi (原沢厚美, 59, independent) won the Yokohama mayoral election held on October 18, capturing 552,207 votes to claim her first electoral victory. Backed by local organizations of the Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, Democratic Party for the People, and Komeito, she also drew broad support from unaffiliated voters, leaving her rivals well behind. Runner-up Fukuyama Atsushi (福山敦) received 230,418 votes; former Mayor Yamanaka Takeharu (山中武晴), who had resigned over a power harassment scandal, placed third with 199,746 votes; and Nakatani Kazuma (中谷一馬) finished fourth with 179,739 votes.
A Yokohama native, Harasawa worked as an aircraft maintenance technician before switching careers to become an attorney. During the campaign she pledged to "draw on her experience tackling compliance issues as a lawyer to rebuild city government, which had stalled under the power harassment scandal." After her win she said, "Yokohama faces many challenges. I want to put residents' perspectives first and make this a great city." Former mayor Yamanaka commented, "The harsh verdict of the citizens has been reflected in this result. I am deeply sorry that my policy pledges were left unfinished." Voter turnout was 45.56%, up 3.92 percentage points from the previous election in 2025.
JASDF Global Hawk: Fuselage Section Raised from Seabed
Salvage operations are continuing on the large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk belonging to JASDF Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, which crashed into the sea off Tottori Prefecture on September 15. The site is approximately 50 km offshore from Tottori City at a depth of 200 to 300 meters. A civilian salvage company contracted by the JASDF raised a section of the fuselage from the seabed on October 17. Footage captured by an NHK helicopter around midday on October 18 showed what appeared to be part of the aircraft's fuselage secured with ropes and covered with a blue tarpaulin on the deck of the work vessel. Recovery operations are expected to continue until early next month, after which the retrieved wreckage will be transported to Misawa Air Base for analysis to determine the detailed cause of the accident.
Parliament: Food Consumption Tax Reduction Bill Enters Deliberations
The food consumption tax reduction bill — the biggest legislative focus of the current Diet session — is set to be debated in a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Monday, October 20. On Sunday, October 19, the House of Councillors Budget Committee convened with Prime Minister Takai (高井) and all cabinet ministers in attendance, with questioning expected to cover anti-inflation measures, social security, and foreign policy. The resignation of former Agriculture Minister Yanagi (柳) has also put the distribution of national road-construction funds in the crosshairs of opposition lawmakers.
On NHK's Sunday Discussion program, LDP Acting Secretary-General Hagiuda (萩生田) said the party would approach the bill "not with a foregone conclusion or a predetermined vote, but with a willingness to listen to opposition voices, correct what needs correcting, and accept what can be accepted." Democratic Party for the People Secretary-General Shinba (榛葉) warned that middle-income earners would face an effective tax increase of 7% in two years and proposed returning roughly ¥50,000 to working-age people through local resident tax cuts. Opposition parties are questioning the bill's effectiveness as an anti-inflation measure and are pressing the government to clarify specific funding sources and the criteria for income-linked relief payments.
Ukraine: Massive Drone Attack on St. Petersburg
On October 18, Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, and the adjacent Leningrad Oblast. St. Petersburg's mayor announced on social media that one person was killed and five were injured. Fires broke out at an oil terminal and oil storage facility, and major Russian e-commerce company Ozon confirmed that its logistics center had been struck by a drone. The governor of Leningrad Oblast reported via social media that a power substation, apartment buildings, and the data center of VKontakte — the Russian social network sometimes called the Russian Facebook — were targeted, and that 145 drones had been shot down. Russian state media described it as "the largest-ever attack on Leningrad Oblast," reporting a total of ten people injured across both regions. Ukrainian President Zelensky countered on social media, stating that Russia had attacked Ukraine with approximately 2,700 drones, 66 missiles, and other weapons over the past week, targeting mainly energy infrastructure.
Sports: Hosono Claims Japan Open; ALCS Tied at 2–2
The final round of the Japan Open Golf Championship was played on October 18 at Taraoka Country Club in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. Starting from the top of the leaderboard, Hosono Yusaku (細野裕作) birdied the par-5 4th hole and then chipped in for birdie at the par-4 8th, gaining two strokes over the front nine. Despite consecutive bogeys on holes 17 and 18, he ground out a round of five birdies and five bogeys to finish the tournament at 13 under par and claim his first Japan Open title. It was the first left-handed victory at the Japan Open in 45 years, since Hagawa Yutaka (羽川豊). Hosono reflected, "There were many moments where dropping strokes would not have been surprising, but being able to hold on led to this win," and added with a smile, "I want to work hard to catch up with and surpass my great predecessor, Hagawa Yutaka." Runner-up Sakamoto Yusuke (坂本雄介) finished at 11 under par.
In MLB's postseason, American League Championship Series Game 4 between the Guardians and Rays was played in Cleveland. The Rays won 7–3 to level the series at two wins apiece. Rays starter Martinez (マルティネス), who previously played in Japanese baseball including with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, pitched into the sixth inning allowing one run. Guardians reliever Griffin (グリフィン), who had played for the Yomiuri Giants, entered in the second spot and held the opposition to one run into the fifth. The Rays took the lead in the sixth on a run-scoring double by Caminero (キャミネロ), added three more in the seventh on a Aranda (アランダー) RBI hit and others, and capped the scoring in the ninth with a two-run home run by Rias (リアス) for a 7–3 final.
Takeaways
- Attorney Harasawa Atsumi won the Yokohama mayoral election with over 552,000 votes, crushing rivals including power-harassment-scandal former mayor Yamanaka, with turnout rising 3.92 points from the previous election.
- The food consumption tax reduction bill entered Diet deliberations with the ruling coalition signaling flexibility while opposition parties demand specifics on funding sources and support eligibility.
- Hosono Yusaku won the Japan Open at 13 under par — the first left-handed champion in 45 years — while the MLB ALCS was tied 2–2 after the Rays' 7–3 Game 4 victory.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.