KYODO NEWS - Jul 9, 2018 - 10:00 | Lifestyle, All, Japan

A transgender University of Tokyo professor was defeated by the incumbent in the mayoral election in Higashimatsuyama near Tokyo on Sunday.

Ayumi Yasutomi, a 55-year-old professor whose campaign focused on preventing child abuse, failed to win broad support from voters as Koichi Morita, 65, secured his third term as mayor of the city in Saitama Prefecture. Morita won 19,094 votes while Yasutomi gained 7,154.

Yasutomi, who has been teaching at the national university's Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia since 2009, argued that protecting children was the most important thing for society.

Yasutomi, who identifies as female since around 2013, also called for free school meals and a lowering of national health insurance premiums.

During the election campaign, Morita, recommended by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito, pushed for boosting the social security system and attracting more companies to the city.