Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki was assured a second four-year term in prefecture's gubernatorial election Sunday, defeating an independent challenger, exit polls showed.

The 48-year-old governor was running as an independent with the backing of the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan.

Yuzaki was challenged by Osamu Onishi, 47, a senior member of the Japanese Communist Party's Hiroshima chapter.

Yuzaki ran on a platform of job creation and economic development, while Onishi focused on welfare provision.