Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Announces He Has Brain Tumor

Mayor says he aims to return to work in late October and still plans to run for a fifth term.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, 73, announced on October 2 that he has a malignant rain tumor in his frontal lobe. He has not attended official events since September 20 because of poor health.

Matsui gave a press conference by video link from a Hiroshima hospital, where he has been admitted for test, on October 2. He said the tumor was found at a health checkup on September 18 and that he has never had a similar illness.

Treatment and return to work

Matsui said he needs about a month of treatment, including radiation therapy and oral medication. He aims to return to work in late October.

In the meantime, he says he can keep working, including through online meetings, so he will not appoint an acting mayor. When reporters asked about his symptoms, he said his voice “isn’t reaching people at the volume I expect.” However, he made it clear that he does not believe his thinking has been affected.

Election plans unchanged

Matsui is in his fourth term, and has been mayor since 2011. In June he announced that he would run for a fifth term in the mayoral election planned for next spring. Asked if that has changed, he said he still planned to run. For now, however, he plans to focus on treatment under his doctor’s guidance and make sure city business is not disrupted.

Residents react

According to RCC News, people they spoke to in Hiroshima wished the mayor a speedy recovery. One woman said she hoped he would recover in time to attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony.

Views were split on his decision not to appoint a stand-in. One man called it a matter of pride and said it set an example. Others said it would be better to hand over temporarily and come back fully recovered, or that a stand-in should be named if his condition is serious.

Source: RCC News