Tokyo: Ginowan Mayor found dead in hotel room

Tokyo, July 26 (IANS) The mayor of the city of Ginowan in the southernmost Japanese prefecture of Okinawa was found dead in a Tokyo hotel on Friday.

Police believe from the situation that he may have died from an illness, local media reported.

Masanori Matsugawa, 70, was found unresponsive at around 9.35 a.m. local time on a bed in his hotel room in the Akasaka area in Tokyo's Minato Ward, and was confirmed dead at the scene, Kyodo News reported, citing the police, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the death which is believed to be the result of illness, the report said.

According to Ginowan officials, Matsugawa arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday to file a request regarding the use of the land where the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is based once it is relocated.

The mayor had met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday at the prime minister's office, and was slated to return to Okinawa on Friday, the report said.

Matsugawa was serving his second term after being first elected mayor in September 2018, backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He has been seeking the prompt closure of the Futenma base, which is located in a densely populated area of Ginowan, due to safety concerns.

The central government plans to move the U.S. military base to the less populated district of Henoko in Okinawa, but the construction of the replacement facility has met with stiff local resistance.

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