Tokihiro Nakamura was re-elected governor of Ehime Prefecture on Sunday, defeating a challenger backed by the Japanese Communist Party to secure a second four-year term.
The focus of the campaign was limited to Nakamura's handling of prefectural affairs.
Regarding the potential restart of Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata nuclear plant in Ehime, the 54-year-old Nakamura refused to be drawn out, sidestepping comparisons with the JCP's Kiyuki Koji, 71, a former metropolitan assembly member in Matsuyama and an opponent of nuclear energy.
The Ikata facility is the only nuclear plant in Shikoku. All of the nation's 48 reactors have been offline for over a year due to safety concerns following the Fukushima nuclear crisis.