# 2020 Kyoto mayoral election

The 2020 Kyoto mayoral election was held on February 2, 2020. Incumbent mayor Daisaku Kadokawa ran for a forth term, against JCP-backed independent Kazuto Fukuyama and former Kyoto Party [ja] Independent Shōei Murayama. Kadokawa won by a margin of nearly ten points, making him one of the longest serving mayors of Kyoto.

## Overview

The election was held after the incumbent, Daisaku Kadokawa, term expired. On October 14, 2019, local Kyoto Party representative Shōei Murayama announced his intention to leave the party and run as an independent. On October 17, Kadokawa announced his intention to run for a fourth term. A few weeks later, on November 8, lawyer Kazuto Fukuyama announced his candidacy with the intention of receiving support from the Democratic City Government Association, an organization made up of citizens groups working with opposition parties, labor unions, and the JCP. Hirohiko Terada, a representative of a local volunteer group, also announced his intention to receive support from the group, but ultimately decided against running for office.
All candidates were technically independent, though only one, Shōei Murayama, did not receive any outside support from a political party or organization, claiming to be a "citizens candidate". Incumbent Mayor Kadokawa was backed by a union of opposition and governmental forces, including the LDP, CDP, Komeito, the DPP, and the SDP. Meanwhile, Fukuyama was backed by newly founded party Reiwa Shinsengumi and the JCP. Nippon Ishin no Kai had originally planned, in 2016, to field Murayama as a candidate, but Murayama fell through with the party. Initially planning to run its own candidate, the party faced difficulty in finding a candidate, eventually letting supporters independently vote for their own candidate.

## Candidates

Three candidates qualified, two of which were backed by national parties.
| Name | Age | Party | Title |
| Shōei Murayama | 41 | Independent | Former Kyoto City Councilor |
| Daisaku Kadokawa | 65 | Independent (Backed by LDP, CDP, Komeito, DPP, SDP) | Incumbent Mayor of Kyoto Former Superintendent of Education in Kyoto |
| Kazuto Fukuyama | 58 | Independent (Backed by JCP, Reiwa) | Kyoto Education Center Executive Director Former City Teachers Union Executive Committee Chairman |

## Results

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | +/– |
| | Daisaku Kadokawa | Independent, LDP, CDP, Komeito, DPP, SDP | 210,640 | 45.09 | –18.71 |
| | Kazuto Fukuyama | Independent, JCP, Reiwa | 161,618 | 34.60 | N/A |
| | Shōei Murayama | Independent | 94,859 | 20.31 | N/A |
| Total | Total | Total | 467,117 | 100.00 | – |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 467,117 | 98.94 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 4,988 | 1.06 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 472,105 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,159,615 | 40.71 | +5.03 |
| Source: Kyoto City Council, Eonet ||||||

### By ward

Ward Counting Results :
| Ward | Daisaku Kadokawa | Daisaku Kadokawa | Kazuto Fukuyama | Kazuto Fukuyama | Shōei Murayama | Shōei Murayama |
| Ward | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Total | 210,640 | 45.09% | 161,618 | 34.60% | 94,859 | 20.31% |
| Kita | 16,859 | 41.86% | 14,994 | 37.23% | 8,424 | 20.92% |
| Kamigyō | 12,025 | 42.35% | 10,635 | 37.45% | 5,735 | 20.20% |
| Sakyō | 19,159 | 32.03% | 22,558 | 37.72% | 18,091 | 30.25% |
| Nakagyō | 16,184 | 42.33% | 13,542 | 35.42% | 8,507 | 22.25% |
| Higashiyama | 5,093 | 41.67% | 4,493 | 36.76% | 2,635 | 21.56% |
| Yamashina | 21,770 | 52.61% | 12,908 | 31.20% | 6,699 | 16.19% |
| Shimogyō | 11,260 | 44.09% | 8,479 | 33.20% | 5,799 | 22.71% |
| Minami | 13,831 | 49.00% | 9,562 | 33.88% | 4,833 | 17.12% |
| Ukyō | 29,528 | 45.39% | 22,846 | 35.12% | 12,675 | 19.49% |
| Nishikyō | 23,248 | 48.37% | 15,691 | 32.65% | 9,121 | 18.98% |
| Fushimi | 41,683 | 52.15% | 25,910 | 32.41% | 12,340 | 15.44% |