The election management committee of the town of Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, announced Wednesday that the number of signatories to a petition calling for the mayor's resignation has met the required figure.
The mayor, Wasaburo Ono, has come under severe criticism from many local residents over his decision to tear down the historic Toyosato Elementary School and build a new one in its location that can better withstand earthquakes, despite court injunctions calling for a halt to demolition work. A group of residents launched the movement to have him resign.
The town has since agreed to keep the current main building intact, while constructing a new building nearby.