Former Wakayama Mayor Takuso Tabita, who is standing trial for bribery and currently in custody, won a seat on the Wakayama Municipal Assembly in Sunday's local elections, according to the final results released by the local election board.
It is extremely rare for a candidate facing a criminal trial or still in detention to run and win in an election for public office.
Tabita received the largest number of votes out of the 42 winners, the board said. He obtained 6,154 votes, which is close to a historic high in the city's assembly elections.
His lawyer quoted Tabita, 58, as saying, "I would like to thank voters who believe in my innocence and cast their ballots for me."