Ginowan Mayor Matsugawa found dead in Tokyo hotel; illness suspected

TOKYO — Masanori Matsugawa, mayor of the Okinawa Prefecture city of Ginowan, was found dead at a hotel in Tokyo on July 26, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told the Mainichi Shimbun.

Matsugawa, 70, is said to have arrived in Tokyo on July 24 to conduct official duties. He is believed to have died from illness.

According to the MPD, Matsugawa was found lying on a bed at the hotel in the Akasaka district of the capital’s Minato Ward at about 9:20 a.m. on July 26.

According to the Ginowan Municipal Government’s website, Matsugawa was appointed mayor in 2018 after serving as secretary-general of the Ginowan Municipal Assembly and deputy mayor. He was in his second term as mayor.

(Japanese original by Yuka Asahina, Tokyo City News Department)