Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura resigned Friday morning to call a snap gubernatorial and mayoral election in the hope of winning local support for a third referendum on merging the city’s wards. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/osaka-referendum/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #osaka #nipponishinnokai #hirofumiyoshimura