Among the 88 mayoral elections for which campaigning kicked off Sunday in the second half of the unified local elections, 25 were uncontested, prompting vows from political parties to make more of an effort to field candidates in the future.
The 25 cities include Takasaki, the most populous city in Gunma Prefecture, and Oita, where the independent candidate Shinya Adachi, a former member of the House of Councillors, has been named mayor of Oita Prefecture's capital for the first time.
Adachi, 65, a former member of the Democratic Party for the People, left the party after losing in the upper house election last July.
