When it was found that Shibuya Ward Deputy Mayor Shin Sawada had written slanderous posts such as "pigs" about certain ward council members in a chat for ward officials, Mr. Sawada took responsibility and resigned as deputy mayor on the 8th.
Councillor Yumiko Kuwamizu of the Shibuya Ward Assembly and the Constitutional and National Shibuya Parliamentary Group held a press conference in Tokyo on the 7th.
In it, Kuwasui-ryu ward councilors revealed that from June to mid-July, Shibuya Ward Deputy Mayor Sawada wrote "pigs" and "stupid gatherings" to Kuwasui-ryu ward councilors and the committees to which they belonged in a chat that could be viewed by about 6 ward officials.
Last week, there were anonymous complaints against several ward councilors, and when the council checked with the wards, they confirmed that it was true.
After working for a major advertising company, Mr. Sawada became deputy mayor in Heisei 7 and is currently in his second term.
In response to this issue, Mayor Ken Hasebe held a press conference on the 8th and announced that Mr. Sawada had submitted a request for resignation and had been accepted.
Mayor Hasebe apologized, saying, "It was a careless post, and as a statement that should serve as a model for ward officials, it must be said that the remark lacked awareness and consideration, and I am truly sorry."
The ward will proceed with an investigation to see if there were any other inappropriate posts.
Representative Tamaki of the People: "We call for an apology and strict punishment"
Tamaki, a representative of the People's Democratic Party, to which ward councillor Yumiko Kuwamizu belongs, said at a press conference, "As a representative of the party, I lodge a serious protest, and I would like to request an apology from the deputy mayor himself to apologize to Ryu Kuwamizu and for the mayor of Shibuya City to take strict action. I would also like to request that other members of Congress and staff conduct rigorous investigations to see if they have engaged in similar power harassment behavior."