The Osaka City Council (大阪市会, Ōsaka-shi kai) is the legislature of Osaka City. It is responsible for the "enactment, amendment and repeal of ordinances, budgetary decisions, approval of account settlements, matters of financial importances including acquisition and disposal of city assets, and others."[2] The assembly has a regular membership 81 members, with 41 needed to form a majority.
Osaka City Council 大阪市会 Ōsaka-shikai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1889 (municipal mergers of the Meiji era (明治の大合併) [1] |
| Leadership | |
President (gichō) | Kazutaka Ohashi, Osaka Ishin since May 27, 2021 |
Vice-President (fuku-gichō) | Teruaki Nishizaki, Komeito since May 27, 2021 |
| Structure | |
 | |
Political groups | Majority (64)
Osaka Ishin（46）
Komeito （18）
Minority (17) Independents （4）
Communist Party （2） |
| Elections | |
| Single non-transferable vote | |
Last election | April 9, 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
 Japan, Osaka City Hall, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Kita Ward, Nakanoshima, 1-3-20. | |
| Website | |
| 大阪市会 | |
Overview
edit
- Members: 81
- Term: 4 years
- Voting System: Medium‐size constituency system (Single non-transferable vote)
- President: Kazutaka Ohashi（Osaka Restoration Association）
- Vice-President: Teruaki Nishizaki （Komeito）
The municipal government consists of 24 electoral districts, representing the 24 administrative wards of the city. The number of members elected from each district is proportional to the ward's population.[3]
Members are elected to four-year terms with no term limits. Japanese citizens of voting age who have been living in Osaka city continuously for three months have the right to vote in municipal government elections, and people with voting rights who are at least 25 years old may stand as candidates.[4]
Members meet quarterly for the regular assembly, additional extraordinary sessions are also held. There are six standing committees of the Osaka municipal government: Finance and General Affairs, Education and Economic Affairs, Public Welfare and Health, Planning and Fire Defense, Construction and Port, and Transport and Waterworks.[5]
The municipal government meets on the 7th (government library, special committee room) and 8th (meeting hall, committee room, city government secretariat, president's office) floors of Osaka City Hall.
Representatives' compensation and benefits
edit| Position | Monthly remuneration | Annual bonus | Government activity allowance | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | 950,000円 | 5,119,200円 | 513,000円 / month | 16,519,200円 |
| Vice-President | 844,000円 | 4,550,400円 | 14,678,400円 | |
| Member | 774,000円 | 4,171,200円 | 13,459,200円 | |
| "大阪市市政§大阪市特別職の報酬等の状況（平成28年6月19日時点）" [ Osaka City Government - the situation of remuneration for Osaka City special employees (as of June 18, 2016).] (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 April 2019. | ||||
Current composition
editMunicipal assembly election was held on 9 April 2023 as a part of the 20th unified local elections. Prior to the election, the council was reduced in size from 83 to 81 seats.
The Osaka Restoration Association won an outright majority, as it holds in the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, gaining six seats. The party therefore no longer needs to rely on the support of Komeito.[6]
The 9 April 2023 general election of members of the council gave the following result:[7]
| Results of the 2023 Osaka City Council election | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Change |
| Osaka Restoration Association (大阪維新の会, Ōsaka Ishin no Kai) | 46 |  6
|
| Komeito (公明党, Kōmeitō) | 18 | |
| Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党, Jiyūminshutō) | 11 |  6
|
| Japanese Communist Party (日本共産党, Nihon Kyōsantō) | 2 | 2
|
| Independents | 4 | |
| Total | 81 | |
References
edit- ^ Kiyotaka Yokomichi. "The Development of Municipal Mergers in Japan" (PDF). The Institute of Comparative Studies in Local Governance.
- ^ "Osaka City Council : Authority of the City Council". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Osaka City Council : How The Council Work". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Osaka City Council : How The Council Work". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "City of Osaka/City Administration/Profile of Osaka City". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Nippon Ishin candidates win big in Kansai region local elections". Japan Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "会派別名簿". Osaka City. Retrieved 17 June 2023.