Local Autonomy Law
Politics of Kanagawa, as in all prefectures of Japan, takes place in the framework of local autonomy that is guaranteed by the Constitution and laid out in the Local Autonomy Law. The administration is headed by a governor directly elected by the people every four years in first-past-the-post elections. Legislation, the budget and the approval of personnel appointments, including the (in Kanagawa: three) vice governors, are handled by the prefectural assembly that is directly elected by the people every four years by single-non transferable vote.