Tokyo Election Starts

Following unprecedented scandal of the governor using public money for personal purposes, Tokyo Gubernatorial Election was officially announced on Thursday. Two candidates from the leading parties and an integrated candidate of the opposite parties ran for the seat. The election for the leader of capital city became proxy war of national politics.

To Tokyo Board of Election, 21 people registered as candidates. But, three of them can actually be recognized as viable candidates: former Minister of Defense, Yuriko Koike, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Hiroya Masuda, and a journalist, Shuntaro Torigoe.

The first person who stepped forward was Koike. After stepping down of former Governor Yoichi Masuzoe, Koike had been labeled as one of the top candidate from Liberal Democratic Party. But, its Tokyo branch, topped by Minister of Economic Revitalization, Nobuteru Ishihara, was reluctant to support her with some reasons. Frustrated with that ambiguous attitude of LDP, Koike made a preemptive measure of raising hand for the Governor, demanding official support from the party.

The ideal candidate for LDP and its partner Komeito was Masuda. Receiving official support from those two parties, Masuda announced his intention for running while Koike was waiting for recommendation from LDP. Known as a brilliant Governor for Iwate Prefecture, Masuda appeals his rich administrative experience and stable handling of Tokyo government.

Torigoe was the last one, who announced his candidacy two days before. Democratic Party, Japan Communist Party, Social Democratic Party and Party for People’s Life immediately supported him. Democratic Party once considered raising him in the previous election. Achieving certain success of integrated campaign, those four parties support Torigoe to protest current administration. Torigoe upholds “stopping reckless drive of Shinzo Abe administration” as his cause for running.

There are important issues in Tokyo. Burden for constructions for 2020 Tokyo Olympic, increasing nurseries, and preparation for possible great earthquake are some of them. Koike upholds fundamental reform of decision-making system of Tokyo government. Masuda listed kids raising, care for aged people and disaster as three major anxieties to be tackled with. Torigoe appeals his ability to build good city for living, working and environment.

Having said that, the basic structure of the election is struggle between divided leading party and integrated opposite parties. As seen in current national election, the leading party has nearly two-third majority in the public. Tokyo gubernatorial election will be a close race by three powers.