In the Tokyo gubernatorial election held yesterday on July 7th, Yuriko Koike won a landslide victory, securing her third term in office. Renho, a Taiwanese-Japanese former senator who was initially seen as Koike’s main rival, surprisingly came in third place, while the dark horse candidate Shinnosuke Ishimaru, former mayor of Akiota City in Hiroshima Prefecture, secured the second highest number of votes.
With a population of approximately 14 million people, the Tokyo gubernatorial election is the largest local executive election in Japan, with a record-breaking 56 candidates running this time. Voting began at 7 a.m. on July 7th (6 a.m. Taiwan time) and polls closed at 8 p.m. Later that evening, multiple Japanese media outlets reported “Koike decisively wins” based on exit polls.
According to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), a total of 11,349,278 voters participated in the election, with a voter turnout of 95% as of around 1:30 a.m. on July 8th (0:30 a.m. Taiwan time). Koike received 2,843,346 votes, accounting for 43.8% of the total votes, securing her third consecutive term in office.
Ishimaru garnered 1,607,815 votes, with a vote share of 24.8%, while Renho received 1,233,100 votes, with a vote share of 19.0%.
After 8 p.m. on July 7th, Koike expressed her gratitude for the victory, stating, “I am determined to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people of Tokyo, to shield them from various disasters, and to enhance the defense of the capital. These tasks are urgent, and I hope to gain everyone’s support to accelerate reforms and elevate them. I will do my best in my third term.”
Ishimaru appeared before supporters around 8 p.m. on July 7th, thanking his team for their hard work in the election campaign, which led to countless support from voters.
When asked about his future political activities, Ishimaru replied that he has not yet made a decision. When questioned about the possibility of running in national elections, he said, “Of course, that is an option to consider, such as running in the Hiroshima 1st District for the House of Representatives, the constituency of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.”
Upon learning of her defeat on the evening of July 7th, Renho stated to the media regarding her future political activities, “I personally have not yet decided to put a stop to it. Please allow me some time to think it over.”
Renho pointed out that she received warm support from many people during the election campaign, allowing her to express her thoughts during the race.
When asked about the reasons for her defeat, Renho admitted, “It was due to my lack of ability. I did my best to advocate for supporting children and young people, hoping that by doing so, it would lead to supporting the elderly and building a circular Tokyo. Unfortunately, my intentions were not conveyed in the election results, showing my inadequacy. I am sorry.”
When questioned about participating in the next House of Representatives election, Renho replied, “Since my intentions were not effectively conveyed, I need some more time to reflect on what I may have been lacking.”
(Narrative sourced from Central News Agency)