What actually is going on at Kusatsu Town in Japan
Some English news media reported that the only female member of a town assembly in Kusatsu town, Japan, has lost her seat by residents’ vote for recall because she accused the mayor of sexual assault. But some people say it is too one-sided perspective. It has a political conflict and issue of suitability in the background.
Political Conflict
Kusatsu has been famous for its hot-spring for a very long time. It is believed that the hot spring cures all kinds of diseases, so traditionally there were advisors called “Yu-cho”(head of a hot spring) who suggest how to take the spring according to the guests’ health conditions. Some people including the current mayor think Yu-chos’ advice may be a medical practice without a license, so the mayor decided to abolish the position. This caused a political conflict, which is reported in detail in a series of books titled “Jet-Black Darkness of Kusatssu".
Chronology
The assembly member Shoko Arai, who lost her seat by residents’ vote for recall, had talked some facts in volume 5 of the “Jet-Black Darkness of Kusatsu” (above). With her own talk and other references, a chronology below was made.
- She got acquaintance with Mr. G, a member of anti-mayor of the assembly.
- She tried to be a member of the Assembly, but failed in 2010.
- She won the election and be a member of the Assembly member in 2011.
(by getting a support from Mr. G, according to her talk)
- She tried to gather information by committing eavesdropping.
(according to her talk).
- She withdrew a residents’ request by a false statement.
(then she received a warning from the Assembly in 2013)
- She failed the election in 2015, and won the election again in 2019.
- She started insisting in sexual assault done in 2015 by the mayor
(but not started a lawsuit).
- The mayor denied the assault and filed a civil and criminal suit.
- A member of the Assembly proposed Arai’s recall.
- More than 90 % of the residents’ vote supported the recall.
Background
Arai had a close connection with an anti-mayor clique Mr. G (she talked so by herself). Arai was once got a warning from the assembly because of her false statement, and it was reported on an official town magazine. Now, she talked on a book about the mayor’s (alleged) sexual assault without any physical evidence nor legal action, which will hurt the town’s reputation if left untreated. The assembly asked her a reasonable explanation, but she could not make any sufficient explanations against contradictions pointed out by the assembly. This is the reason of the recall, according to “Request for dismissal” submitted to the town for the recall.
Point in question 1: a sexual assault at the Mayor’s room
- It is reported that she visited the room on the day with other person.
- The space is too narrow for the (alleged) assault.
- She insists the layout of the furniture was changed, but it is not.
Point of question 2: eligibility
The assembly found that she had not had a rental contract on her residence. This leads a doubt of the eligibility of a member of the assembly. But she could not explain sufficiently on this matter.
The Actuality
The recall was done not because of accusing a sexual assault by the Mayor, but because she could not achieve accountability as a member of the assembly. It is not appropriate to see this news as a case of a sexual assault victim being shut up by unjustified recall. The fact is, she had done lots of wrong behaviors, and the recall was done because of the doubt of her suitability. For me, it seems just a conspiracy of anti-mayor clique.
* This article was written mainly based on a translation of
https://blog.ica-musu.me/?p=12914
but not a verbatim translation. Some parts are based on other articles, and some are my own opinions.
the mayor (left) and Arai (right). Arai says in this letter that Mr. G asked her to contact closely with the mayor, but she became to really like him.
The mayor looks like protecting himself from a bad reputation by showing just a business smile.
With this drawing, Arai insists the mayor did a sexual assault between the sofa and the table. But actually it is too narrow.
This is a photo taken on 17 December 2015, which was 3 weeks before the day of the (alleged) assault.
This is a current furniture setting of the Mayor’s room(Dec., 2020).
No any changes of the layout from the photo above.
An official town magazine in 2013. It reports Arai made a false statement to withdraw a resident’s request, so she got a warning from the assembly.
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