Mayor Maki Takubo of Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, accused of falsifying her academic record in order to win the election, accused of violating the Public Offices Election Act

The mayor of Itō City in Shizuoka Prefecture, Maki Takubo, is facing a criminal complaint over a possible false academic claim.

A local construction company president filed the complaint with the Itō Police, accusing Mayor Takubo of violating election law.

According to the complaint, during the May 2025 mayoral election, Takubo allegedly gave false information to media outlets, saying she graduated from Toyo University’s law school to gain voter support. This could be considered a violation of Japan’s Public Offices Election Law.

However, Mayor Takubo argues she never personally claimed to have graduated from the university during the campaign, so she believes she did not break the law.

Police are reviewing the complaint.