Toru Hashimoto, the former Osaka governor, mayor and co-founder of Osaka-based Nippon Ishin no Kai, has cut ties with the national party following its poor performance in the Oct. 22 Lower House election.
"I'm resigning as Nippon Ishin's legal adviser," Hashimoto said on his Twitter account.
With the decision, Hashimoto, who officially retired from politics in 2015 but continued to advise Nippon Ishin, ended all formal ties with the party he helped create. He had also served as policy adviser but quit that position in May.