Japan Medical Association Elects New President

From Jiji Press 

June 27 2020

TOKYO – The Japan Medical Association on Saturday elected Vice President Toshio Nakagawa its new president, replacing incumbent Yoshitake Yokokura, who has maintained close ties with the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The leadership change may affect the relationship between the association, a key supporter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and the Abe administration, observers said.

Yokokura showed his presence during coordination between the association and the government on measures to tackle the novel coronavirus, as well as talks to revise medical service fees.

In the election, which was held in Tokyo, Nakagawa, 69, garnered 191 votes, against 174 votes for Yokokura, 75, who failed to win a fifth two-year term. Nakagawa’s first term started on the same day.

Yokokura initially planned to step down, but later changed course to run in the leadership race, saying that he was strongly asked by many people to change his intention to leave office.