Nara voters head to the polls Sunday for a mayoral election that has been dominated by concerns over a shrinking population and an expanding tourist industry.
Three candidates are challenging incumbent Mayor Gen Nakagawa, 41, who is seeking a third term. His main rivals are Makoto Yamashita, 49, a former candidate for Nara governor running as an independent, and Yoshiko Asahiro, 56, an NPO leader backed by the local chapter of the Liberal Democratic Party. The third candidate is Yoshiko Inoue, 53, who has the support of the Japan Communist Party.
Nakagawa originally ran with support from the Democratic Party when he first won the mayor's seat in 2009.