Tokyo High Court restores Nasu Town mayor following election dispute

The Tokyo High Court has ruled in favor of Yukihiro Hirayama, the mayor of Nasu Town in Tochigi Prefecture, overturning a previous decision by the prefectural election management committee that had declared his election invalid.

The dispute stems from the March mayoral election, where Hirayama initially won by a single vote over challenger Noriyuki Oyamada. However, the prefectural election management committee later conducted a recount and ruled that Oyamada had actually won by two votes. This reversal was based on the committee's decision to count 16 ballots containing mixed surnames and given names—such as ‘Hirayama Noriyuki’ or ‘Oyamada Yukihiro’—as valid votes for the respective candidates.

Hirayama challenged this ruling, arguing that such mixed ballots should be treated as invalid to avoid subjective interpretations that might disregard voter intent. Upon reviewing the disputed ballots, the Tokyo High Court determined that Hirayama actually held a three-vote lead. The court ordered the cancellation of the committee's invalidation ruling. The prefectural election management committee maintains the right to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.