Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Tuesday that he might step down to hold a gubernatatorial election in hopes of seeking a mandate over whether to hold a third referendum on his party’s Osaka merger plan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/13/japan/politics/osaka-governor-mayor-backup-capital/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #osaka #hirofumiyoshimura #hideyukiyokoyama #decentralization