Yoshihiro Murai held off four other candidates to clinch his sixth term as governor of Miyagi Prefecture in Sunday's gubernatorial election.
Murai, an independent candidate who had support from prefectural assembly members of the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan Innovation Party and Komeito, highlighted his achievements as the prefecture's governor spanning five terms, or 20 years.
The 65-year-old former chief of the National Governors' Association pledged to enhance productivity by promoting digital transformation using generative artificial intelligence, in anticipation of a further population decline.
He successfully fended off Masamune Wada, 51, also an independent candidate, who had been closing in. Wada was virtually backed by Sanseito, with the two sides exchanging a policy memorandum and Sanseito chief Sohei Kamiya providing support.
Another independent candidate, Miyuki Yusa, struggled to gain public support despite being backed by prefectural assembly members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party.
Voter turnout stood at 46.50%, down from 56.29% in the previous election.
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