2007 Minamimaki mayoral election

The Japanese village Minamimaki, Nagano held a mayoral election on November 11, 2007. Yukihiko Kikuchi beat the incumbent mayor Yoshito Nakajima.

Candidates

 * Yoshito Nakajima, incumbent mayor of Minamimaki.
 * Yukihiko Kikuchi, farmer and former city assembly members for the Japanese Communist Party (JCP).

Issues
The main issue was the proposed merger of the village with neighboring Kawakami. In a referendum earlier this year 87% voted not to merger. Incumbent mayor Yoshito Nakajima supported a merger while Yukihiko Kikuchi of the JCP was against it. Kikuchi also called for a "agriculture revitalization" and criticized what he called "undemocratic policies" of the incumbent mayor.

Results
Yukihiko Kikuchi won the election with 430 more votes than Yoshito Nakajima.