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Nobuto Hosaka raises bunches of flowers after winning the Setagaya Ward mayoral election on April 24. (Mainichi)

Former Social Democratic Party (SDP) legislator Nobuto Hosaka has won Tokyo's Setagaya Ward mayoral race after running on an anti-nuclear power platform.

Hosaka's call for the abandonment of nuclear power plants gained wide support from local voters amid growing concern about the spread of radioactive substances from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant that was hit by a massive tsunami on March 11.

"I'd like to play a leading role in developing new energy sources. I'd like to make Setagaya the pioneer region of such efforts," said Hosaka, 55, a former member of the House of Representatives, after he was declared the winner on April 24.

The SDP, which has called for the abolition of nuclear power plants as one of the pillars of its platform, hailed Hosaka's victory. "It reflects the trend of the times," said SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima.

The SDP chief is expected to use Hosaka's victory as a springboard to intensify its calls in the Diet for the abolition of nuclear power stations.

Hosaka declared on April 6 that he would run in the mayoral election. He left the SDP and ran as an independent with the backing of the SDP and the People's New Party -- a coalition partner of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

His victory was also aided by splits in both the DPJ and the largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The LDP Tokyo chapter supported a former independent member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly affiliated with a DPJ-led alliance in the assembly, while the LDP branch in the Setagaya constituency fielded another candidate. The DPJ also fielded its own candidate.