A candidate in the Okawa Municipal Assembly election in Kochi Prefecture delivers a campaign speech near the municipal government headquarters on April 16, 2019. (Mainichi/Yuka Matsubara)

Mayoral candidates in 55 towns and villages and 988 candidates in assembly elections in 93 towns and villages are going unchallenged in the second round of nationwide local elections set for April 21.

Campaigning for town and village mayoral and assembly elections kicked off on April 16.

A total of 208 people filed their candidacies in mayoral elections in 121 towns and villages in 36 prefectures, while 4,775 candidates are vying for 4,233 seats in assemblies in 375 towns and villages in 45 prefectures.

Among the 55 municipalities where mayoral candidates are going unchallenged, the Hokkaido village of Shosanbetsu saw its candidate win the election without a vote for the 12th consecutive time.

Campaigning for city mayoral and assembly elections, which are also part of the second round of the local elections, started on April 14. Gubernatorial and prefectural assembly elections as well as mayoral assembly and mayoral elections in major ordinance-designated cities were held as part of the first round of the local elections on April 7.

Some 45.5% of candidates in town and village mayoral contests won without a vote, while 23.3% of town and village assembly candidates also secured seats unchallenged.

(Japanese original by Shunsuke Kamiashi, City News Department)