Janice R. Andrews
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike secured her third term victory, according to NHK projections, offering respite to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his supporting party amid challenging times.
Koike emerged victorious against a record field of 55 contenders, including Renho Saito of the Constitutional Democratic Party and Shinji Ishimaru, a former Hiroshima mayor, reported NHK on Sunday.
“I have heard the people of Tokyo calling for more reforms and stronger support for their livelihoods,” remarked Koike following her projected win. She highlighted Tokyo’s pressing issues, such as inflation woes due to currency depreciation and the urgent need for enhanced childcare provisions.
The Tokyo governorship is a prestigious role in Japanese politics, overseeing an economy comparable in scale to the Netherlands and a population exceeding 14 million, larger than Belgium.
Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party indirectly backed Koike by refraining from fielding its own candidate. Kishida faces record-low approval ratings since assuming office in 2021, with challengers eyeing the party’s leadership contest in September.
Results for nine special elections for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly were pending as of 9 p.m. local time, with the LDP contesting eight seats.
In her victory speech, Koike pledged to address Tokyo’s declining fertility rate, a pivotal election issue overshadowing her aspirations to restore the city’s global financial prominence.
Initially elected in 2016 after resigning from the LDP, Koike’s leadership steered Tokyo through the pandemic and the 2020 Summer Olympics. Despite her party’s diminished influence, she has collaborated effectively with the conservative LDP.
“The outcome of Tokyo’s governor race and the metropolitan assembly seat distribution will significantly impact the LDP amidst ongoing scandals and public disapproval,” noted political analyst Naoko Aoki of the Rand Corp. prior to the election.
Takeshi Niinami, president of Suntory Holdings Ltd., urged Koike to intensify efforts in bolstering Tokyo’s global financial stature and supporting local startups.
“I hope Governor Koike accelerates initiatives to enhance Tokyo’s competitiveness,” Niinami emphasized.
