Genkai Town, Japan elects Daisuke Hidaka as mayor, defeating incumbent Shintaro Wakiyama

On July 26, 2026, Genkai Town in Saga Prefecture held a mayoral election with a 78 % voter turnout (3,977 ballots). Independent candidate Daisuke Hidaka, a 55‑year‑old former town department chief, won 1,800 votes, unseating three‑term incumbent Shintaro Wakiyama, who received 1,281 votes.

After his victory, Hidaka pledged to create a "town where people can live, work, and stay safely." The election coincided with ongoing deliberations on the site for the final disposal of high‑level radioactive waste, for which the town is conducting a literature review before deciding on a detailed assessment. Hidaka said he would evaluate the next phase of the study after the review’s results are released.