TOKYO: Incumbent KOIKE Yuriko has won a third term as Governor of Tokyo, outrunning her major rivals Renho andISHIMARU Shinji.
“With the strong support of the citizens of Tokyo, I have been entrusted with guiding the Metropolitan Government for a third term,” Koike said in her speech after the result was announced. “I am deeply grateful to all the people who supported my campaign in this hot weather. I am acutely aware of the weight of this responsibility.”
“Over the past two terms, spanning eight years, I have achieved about 90 percent of various policies. The citizens of Tokyo have expressed their desire for more reforms and support for their lives. I have experienced many elections, but this one was unprecedented.”
Koike was not only referring to having to face off 56 candidatesin the election, but also a fractious gubernatorial race that included threats and protests.
“Japan and Tokyo are facing numerous challenges, including high prices, expensive materials and the tough situation caused by a weak yen,” Koike said. “Although I have pledged ‘Children First’ as my campaign slogan, we must also address declining birth rates and how we advance the digital transformation.”
“Compared to the rest of the world, the environment for women’s participation is still poor. We must undertake major reforms and upgrade Tokyo. We cannot afford to waste even a minute or a second. We will speed up and protect the lives and livelihoods of 14 million people. As I embark on my third term, I will give it my all.”
The Tokyo race was seen as a battle between conservative Japan – Koike – and progressive Japan in the form of Renho and Ishimaru, but while Renho grabbed all the headlines, it was Ishimaru who got the better results on Sunday to finish in second place.
Koike, 71, became the first female Tokyo governor in 2016. The former LDP lawmaker was also Japan’s first female defense minister
With Koike harboring greater ambitions in Japanese politics, the election was closely watched. Current Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio is unpopular and has suffered after his faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was involved in a slush funds scandal. The LDP did not field a candidate but was understood to be behind Koike.
For the LDP, Koike’s victory is further good news following last month’s Okinawa Prefectural Assembly election in which LDP candidates won all the seats.
All incumbents in past Tokyo gubernatorial elections who sought re-election have gone on to win. The governor of Japan’s capital, home to around 14 million people, controls an annual budget of more than 16 trillion yen ($100 billion).