Keiko Hasegawa, a lawyer from the city of Iida, Nagano Prefecture, on Saturday declared her candidacy for the Nagano gubernatorial race, bringing to five the number of people expected to compete for the seat left vacant by the ouster of former Gov. Yasuo Tanaka.
Hasegawa, 50, said at a press conference, "My passion is growing as I have been encouraged by people close to me." She said she will formally announce her bid on Aug. 2.
Tanaka, a popular novelist-turned-politician, lost his job as governor earlier this month after the prefectural assembly adopted a no-confidence motion against him over the abrupt cancellation of the construction of dams in Nagano.
In addition to Tanaka, who will seek re-election, the field of candidates includes Shu Ichikawa, 50, director of a think tank led by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, Nobuaki Hanaoka, 56, a former editorial writer at the Sankei Shimbun newspaper, and Chozo Nakagawa, 46, a graduate student at Shinshu University.
Hanaoka and Nakagawa have already declared their intention to run, while Ichikawa is expected to do so on Monday.
The crowded field splitting the anti-Tanaka vote may give the former governor an advantage and it is possible the number of challengers will be narrowed down to one before the election, according to political analysts.
Hasegawa, the first female lawyer in the prefecture, is a member of the Nagano commission of evaluation on public works, a prefectural government affiliate. She has been critical of Tanaka's policies.
Voting in the Nagano prefectural race is set for Sept. 1.