[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Tokyo gubernatorial election, the head of Japan's capital, began at 7 a.m. on the 5th. Incumbent Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is favored for re-election, and this election is reported to have the largest number of candidates ever, with 22 running.
According to local Japanese media such as NHK, the Tokyo gubernatorial election started at 7 a.m. at 1,800 polling stations across Tokyo. Voting will end at 8 p.m., and counting will begin immediately along with early voting results. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Election Commission's tally, the number of early voters in this election was 1,378,422, about 70,000 more than in the election four years ago.
This election features a record 22 candidates, including the incumbent Governor Koike. So far, Koike is analyzed to have a strong chance of re-election. Japan's ruling coalition parties, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, did not field their own candidate in this Tokyo gubernatorial election and instead supported Koike, who is running as an independent. The main contenders competing with Koike include Taro Yamamoto, leader of Reiwa Shinsengumi; Kenji Utsunomiya, former chairman of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations; Daisuke Ono, former vice governor of Kumamoto Prefecture; and Takashi Tachibana, leader of the NHK Kara Kokumin wo Mamoru To (The Party to Protect the People from NHK).
This election is evaluated to focus primarily on solutions to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. Governor Koike has not conducted any street campaigns, citing the need to avoid the so-called "3 Cs" ? closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings ? which can spread COVID-19. Instead, she has conducted her campaign online using social networking services (SNS).
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