At the end of the year, Shigemi Maruyama had made his decision. The 74-year-old, a member of the Fuchu Municipal Assembly in Hiroshima Prefecture, would not run for re-election on April 24.
“My health is fine now, but I’m not sure if I can make it through the next four years,” he said. “If I have to quit in the middle of my term, that will cause trouble for the community and my family.”
On Dec. 28, he told supporters in his electoral district that he would retire at the end of his term.