A day after winning Sunday's Aomori gubernatorial race, Shingo Mimura said he feels the heavy responsibility of the post sinking in.
The 47-year-old Mimura, a former Lower House member backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, won the race for the governorship -- the second in six months, with support also from the LDP'S two coalition partners, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party.
He defeated three other candidates, including his main rival, Hokuto Yokoyama, 39, a university professor who was backed by the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Independents, a small political group.
Monday was Mimura's mother's birthday, and he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters that he was happy to be able to tell her on that day that he will do his best as governor.