Incumbent Yuriko Koike won a third term as governor of the nation’s capital, with Tokyoites choosing to keep her in office for another four years.
In a surprising turn of events, dark horse Shinji Ishimaru, the former mayor of the city of Akitakata in Hiroshima Prefecture, placed second, a position that was long thought to be guaranteed for high-profile liberal politician Renho, who placed third.
“Thanks to your strong support, I have been entrusted with the leadership of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for a third term,” Koike said at her office on July 7. “I am deeply grateful to all of you who supported my election campaign in this hot weather … (and) to all those involved in the campaign for your passionate support.”
Koike earned nearly 3 million votes, amounting to 42.8% of overall turnout. That’s 19.1 percentage points more than Ishimaru, who picked up 1.65 million votes. Renho was dealt a major loss, receiving only 18.8% of the votes, with a little less than 1.3 million.
Voter turnout was 60.62%, up from 55% in the 2020 poll. The election saw the highest level of early voting in the city’s history, with around 19% of overall constituents having cast their ballots as of July 6. (The Japan Times)
毎週届く！
