As voters head to the first round of the unified nationwide local elections Sunday, a lack of candidates in the prefectural and municipal assembly races means incumbents in many districts are running unopposed.
But in Osaka, the elections are merely a prelude to a much-anticipated May referendum on the future of the city, and interest is high as all electoral districts have multiple candidates.
Nationwide, about 22 percent of the seats in 41 prefectural assembly races will be uncontested, leading some Tokyo media and pundits to dismiss the elections as unimportant and having little impact on national policy.