Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has won re-election to a third term on Sunday, fending off challenges from dozens of candidates vying to unseat the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed incumbent, according to an exit poll from public broadcaster NHK.
Koike, 71, got more than 40% of the vote, followed by Shinji Ishimaru, 41, a former mayor of a town in Hiroshima prefecture, who was in second place, the exit poll showed. Renho, 56, who was supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), came in third.
A victory for Koike could help embattled Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resist calls from within the LDP to step down as public support for him and his ruling group ebbs amid a political donations scandal.
With its popularity waning, the LDP in April lost three parliamentary by-elections to the CDPJ as well as the vote for the governorship of nearby Shizuoka prefecture, which was won by Yasutomo Suzuki, a candidate backed by the opposition group.
A total of 56 candidates contested the election for the governorship of Japan's capital, which is home to 13.5 million people.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.
25 Comments
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smithinjapan
Like anyone expected anything different. Anyway, now she can go back to ignoring her promises.
Peter Neil
what were her accomplishments?
always a good question in all elections.
talking about something is not accomplishing something.
Roger Gusain
Another four years of ... nothing from "AI Yuriko". Apart from more tourists of course.
SDCA
darn, and I thought this was our chance at overthrowing the LDP along with Kishida-san but I guess people still don't vote in Tokyo and the usual people continue to vote LDP.
Blacksamurai
Better Koike San than Shinji Kun the Carpetbagger from Hiroshima. Amazing how a dude from a city that has absolutely zero in common with Tokyo including population and proximity thought he should be running Japan's No 1 City.
When he announced he was a candidate I remember the J media including this one referring to his energetic exchanges with rivals - yeah, just the qualification to lead Tokyo not. Renho was a much more credible candidate but we're probably seeing the same ol safe choice mentality of the older demographic who do vote more than the 18 yr olds here.
dan
More of the same old same old smh.
Japan really is done for .
Pukey2
Better the devil you know, I guess. ie no change. At least in the UK, the devil changed its mask.
dbsaiya
Vote LDP you get LDP. She is still LDP through and through and the folks in Tokyo just proved that they still like the LDP.
stickman1760
Better than that right wing nutter Tamogami. Lord knows what he would have done.
dont think you can really blame Koike for this current wave of overtourism. That is more a result of the weak yen.
Olive
Her long list of accomplishments must have got her over the line…wait, remind me again??
Alan Bogglesworth
Proof functioning democracy doesn’t really exist here. Even if there is noting “wrong” with Koike, there is no real competition at all. This is a problem anyone who care about Japan should be worried about.
Mike_Oxlong
The LDP have total control through their strong connections with major corporations exerting control over every part of Japan by granting and withholding economic favours.
NCIS Reruns
By this time next year, 700 gingko trees in Aoyama will have been felled, as Koike's supporters redevelop the area with new high rises.
TokyoLiving
I told you, Lady Koike is the winner..
Tokyo wins!!!..
Nomir
Wonderful. Say goodbye to another 5000 trees. What a horrible human being.
garypen
With only 40% of the vote, she could have been beaten, if only she had a single opponent instead of 50+.
deanzaZZR
Say goodbye to the ginko trees in Meiji Jingu Gaien.
Slayer
The worst governor in my 30 years of living here.
Seesaw7
Thank god it wasn't Renho!
socrateos
A great news, though expected one.
She is one of the greatest governors of Tokyo. If she had two bodies, I would like to have her as both the Tokyo Governor and the Japanese Prime Minister.
Samit Basu
Same old same old. Nothing changes in Japan.
Peter Neil
socrateosToday 02:37 am JST
can you tell us why?
it’s a serious question.
Sanjinosebleed
You get who you vote for! When will the Japanese learn to vote for other than the LDP???
kurisupisu
Koike win?
Expect more trees to be cut down then…
Aoi Azuuri
Present governor Koike is very problematic such as falsifying career, unjust 90% discount of metropolitan land, unclear collusion with large corporations, environmental destruction prioritizing redevelopment, slush fundraising like LDP, destroying disabled dogs and cats, no achievement of public promises, historical revisionism about discrimination-based massacre, undemocratic behaviour at metropolitan assembly, wasting taxes 4.8 billion yen to decorate metropolitan building, excluding or harassing against poverty people.
And, Koike is also target of plural criminal complaints.
But, Japanese major media continued to be silent all about inconvenient facts of Koike during election campaigning on the excuse of "political fairness", Besides, Japanese media had even distracted voters' eyes from Tokyo governor election itself by other topics.
Japanese news shows spent more hours to feature US presidential TV debate or France and UK general elections than Tokyo governor election.
Japanese TV channels at Tokyo easily gave up Tokyo governor TV debate on the excuse of "political fairness" because Koike continued to deny it despite former anchor person.
Moreover, recent Japanese media don't even mention that causes of difficulties people facing are defects or incompetence of politics.
Those have reduced voter turnout, it worked advantageously two far-right candidates who having organized-votes such as large corporations or religious cults.