Tokyo elects first woman governor ahead of 2020 Olympics

Japan: Yuriko Koike 64 has been elected as the first female governor of Tokyo on Sunday after two of her predecessors stepped down over their role in scandals that clouded the city's preparations to host the 2020 summer Olympic Games.


According to an exit poll by public broadcaster NHK, Yuriko Koike who is also Japan's first female defence minister, defeated her opponents former bureaucrat and fellow member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party Hiroya Masuda, and liberal journalist Shuntaro Torigoe.

Speaking after the election, Koike said to supporters;

"Taking this result very heavily, as the new governor I would like move forward firmly with the administration of the metropolis,"

"I would like to move forward with a metropolitan administration such as has never happened, never been seen, together with all of you."

The capital city of more than 13.5 million people faces a series of problems such as an aging population, shortage of daycare and the ever-present threat of a massive earthquake. But leading the to the campaign was the big issue of the 2020 Olympics, which Japan hopes will propel its economy, which is struggling to escape decades of deflation.

the main stadium construction has been put on hold and the original logo for the games discarded accusations of plagiarism.
Koike will be responsible for saving Tokyo's reputation as the host city for the games as one of her first responsibility will be to travel to Rio de Janeiro when the Olympic games ends  and to accept the Olympic flag as the next host.

"The Olympics are right in front of us. I want to use them as a chance to build a new Tokyo for beyond 2020," Koike said during the election campaign.