Tokyo elects first female governor
Veteran politician Yuriko Koike was elected governor of Tokyo on Sunday, according to media exit polls, becoming the first woman to lead Japan’s capital.
Public broadcaster NHK, Jiji Press and other media forecast Koike as the winner immediately after polls closed at 8 pm.
“I will lead Tokyo politics in an unprecedented manner, a Tokyo you have never seen,” Koike, 64, told cheering supporters in a hoarse voice after two weeks of campaigning.
The election, contested by a record field of 21 candidates, was called after previous governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned over a financial scandal. He was the second successive city leader to quit.
A key task for Koike will be dealing with Tokyo’s troubled preparations for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which have been plagued by a series of embarrassing scandals and soaring costs.
Euphoria in 2013 at securing the right to host sport’s marquee event has given way to frustration over gaffes and scandals.
Despite the high number of candidates, the race was seen as a three-way contest between Koike and two male candidates, a former prefectural governor and a television journalist.
Masuzoe’s predecessor Naoki Inose — who had led the successful bid to win the Games — bowed out after becoming embroiled in a personal financial scandal.
Koike, a former TV anchorwoman, speaks fluent English and Arabic — the latter acquired as a student in Cairo — and has also served as defense minister and environment minister.
I will lead Tokyo politics in an unprecedented manner, a Tokyo you have never seen.” Yuriko Koike, new governor