The charisma of former Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto lifted Osaka Ishin no Kai (meaning literally "Association for Osaka Reformation"), a local party led by him, to overwhelming victories in two elections Sunday.
Mr. Hashimoto trounced incumbent Osaka Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu in the Osaka mayoral election, and Mr. Ichiro Matsui, Mr. Hashimoto's lieutenant, routed former Ikeda Mayor Kaoru Kurata in the prefectural gubernatorial election. The defeated candidates were supported by the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party.
Apparently the helplessness felt by many Osaka people amid economic stagnation and the sense that power is concentrated in Tokyo, boosted Mr. Hashimoto. More than 150,000 Osaka city residents are on welfare — about one of every 18 citizens, the highest rate in Japan. Mr. Hashimoto captured the hearts of Osaka voters with such bites as "Strong power, almost dictatorial, is needed to change today's politics" and "There will be no jobs by the time your children become grown."