Ibaraki Gov. Masaru Hashimoto won a fourth four-year term Sunday, beating a political newcomer, according to ballots counted by the election board.
Hashimoto, 59, who ran as an independent, was supported by New Komeito, the Social Democratic Party and the local chapter of the Liberal Democratic Party.
His challenger, 53-year-old Takako Mamiya, a senior member of the New Japan Women's Association also listed as an independent, was supported by the Japanese Communist Party.
With all the ballots counted, Hashimoto obtained 1,080,453 votes. Mamiya garnered 404,323.
Voter turnout was 64.73 percent, up from a record-low 29.93 percent in the previous election. The turnout was boosted substantially because the election was held along with the House of Representatives election.