NAGOYA (Kyodo) Official campaigning kicked off Thursday for the Feb. 6 Aichi gubernatorial election with one of the five candidates backed by controversial Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura.
The election coincides with the Nagoya mayoral race, in which Kawamura, who is to step down Friday, will seek a fresh mandate as he seeks to implement a local tax cut.
There will also be a referendum on whether to dissolve the Nagoya Municipal Assembly that is being held as a result of a campaign Kawamura initiated.