Matsubara served as a primary and secondary school teacher in his early career.
He has been known to show great enthusiasm for large building projects, but has been weak on social welfare issues.
On October 23, 2008, Mayor Matsubara announced that he would not be running for re-election in the Spring of 2009 due to health concerns over his advanced age (71).
The Asahi Shimbun reports, however, that fall-out from his recent "slush fund" scandal may also have contributed to his decision to stand down[1] after more than a decade in office.
On April 1, 2015, he was appointed the president of Tokai Gakuen University in Miyoshi, Aichi.