Kamisu Mayor to Challenge Ruling on 'Dumpling' Ballots

Kamisu Mayor Toshiyuki Kiuchi intends to file a lawsuit with the Tokyo High Court after ballots featuring nicknames were ruled invalid [1, 2].

The legal battle centers on whether local nicknames can serve as valid identifiers in an election, potentially altering the outcome of the mayoral race. The dispute follows a ruling by the prefectural election administration commission that rejected votes written as "manju-ya" (bun shop) and "dango-san" (dumpling person) [1, 2].

Kiuchi, 65, held a press conference on Friday to announce his intent to challenge the decision ^[1]. He plans to file the suit by the end of May ^[1]. The controversy stems from an election result that ended in a tie, which was ultimately decided by a lottery ^[3].

Kiuchi said that the nicknames are widely recognized identifiers within the community. "Everyone calls me 'manju-ya'," he said ^[2].

Despite the legal turmoil, Kiuchi said that the media coverage of the dispute has had an unexpected benefit for his family business. "Since the reports came out, dango have been selling incredibly well, and my mother is very happy," he said ^[1]. He said that he will fight until the end regarding the election results ^[1].

The case involves a contest between Kiuchi and 67-year-old Susumu Ishida ^[1]. While the election commission maintained that the nicknames did not constitute legal names, Kiuchi said they are legitimate aliases [1, 3].

There is conflicting reporting regarding Kiuchi's current status. Some reports state he will remain in office until a final court judgment is reached ^[1], while others suggest the ruling of invalid election results could lead to an immediate suspension of his duties ^[2].