Toru Hashimoto finished his term Monday as Osaka governor, resigning three months early to run for mayor of the city of Osaka on Nov. 27.
"Tomorrow, I move to a different stage. The future structure of Osaka is at stake and only political power can change it," Hashimoto said at his last news conference.
While Hashimoto still remains popular, his image and reputation have taken a beating in recent days due to public anger over his quitting before finishing his term and concerns over a spate of negative media reports.