Koike proves presentation matters as much as policy

I would like to be able to meet her personally on a one to one basis to really understand her attitude "before" I can "appreciate" what she has done or want to do for Japan and its citizens and other residents, given the social - political and economic environment in Japan and the rest of the world. The key to any politician is to knowing his/her perspectives and motivations, intentions. To date I have yet to see any of that which I can rely on to recognize her character and ability. I hope there will be an opportunity one day before the election.

say*

many people “worried” about Koike,s english skills here ... ... is it because Japanese people ( politicians included ) are expected to just know a few words in english? ( and with that katakana accent ) ... perhaps this is more complex... this ( woman ) politician can speak english ( just one of her many competencies )... acceptance of that fact might not be so easy after all.

 and speaks """perfect""" English " ... meaning, that,s a plus.

Not when her constituency doesn't understand it.

It's like saying having a driver's license is a "plus" to be elected Gov.

@doggar trying to make it look like other people said things they didn,t said. nice logic, that.

she speaks good english so she is a good politician, nice logic , that.

" She has a good personality and speaks perfect English. "

Not even 99% of "native" English speakers are capable of speaking "perfect English" and if just being able to speak English is enough qualification to be elected Gov of Tokyo, we REALLY are in trouble!

She should stick to Japanese only, as her "English" phrases are defintely NOT English, and I personally hate it when she says "over-shoot" when she means "spike"!

" and speaks """perfect""" English " ... meaning, that,s a plus.

She has a good personality and speaks perfect English. 

Not even 99% of "native" English speakers are capable of speaking "perfect English" and if just being able to speak English is enough qualification to be elected Gov of Tokyo, we REALLY are in trouble!

She should stick to Japanese only, as her "English" phrases are defintely NOT English, and I personally hate it when she says "over-shoot" when she means "spike"!

@BeerDeliveryGuy

 " She has a good personality and speaks perfect English. "

Does English speaking ability make someone a good person? Former Tokyo Governor Masuzoe and the journalist suspected of raping a colleague both speak fluent English.

except nobody said that english speaking abilities make someone a good person. he said that "she has a good personality AND speaks perfect English". it,s not pretty when someone tries to put words in other people,s mouths...

 She has a good personality and speaks perfect English. 

Does English speaking ability make someone a good person? Former Tokyo Governor Masuzoe and the journalist suspected of raping a colleague both speak fluent English.

I would rather have Koike than Abe. She has a good personality and speaks perfect English. Not god damn Abe!

I believe that Number One on Koike's sign: "No Closed Spaces" would make better sense written as "No Close Spaces." In terms of a virus, there is no harm in "closed spaces." You know, as in this space is closed.

It is not uncommon to read an English language sign on a Japanese storefront informing a potential customer: "Sorry we are close." I always think, right, it would be more convenient if you were further away.

mw775 are you aware she snubbed a tribute to the Koreans who were slaughtered after the kanto earthquake? She's a politician, much like the rest.

She stalled testing for covid just to save the olympics and her legacy. This olympics debacle is all coming out of our taxes!

Shouldn’t the 3rd C be “Close Quarters”’or “Close Proximity?”

This is supposed to be an English version of 3密 (密集、密室、密接), right?

I’m not going to go into what she has done during the four years of her term. I’ll focus on what she hasn’t done. She hasn’t been involved in any money scandals or accused of misappropriating funds in any way. That is very rare for a top level Japanese politician. As a result, she gets my vote.

Personally, I like Koike. I think she's done a decent job.

Decent job like every governor in Japan of suppressing the numbers by limiting testing to a minimum.

Going by this reasoning, the governor of Iwate with zero infection did the best job but nobody remembers him because he won't get the media viewers.

Strangerland said "Personally, I like Koike. I think she's done a decent job."

What kind of job did she do personally to make you satisfied ?

Exactly.

No Closed Spaces....No Crowded Places....No Close Conversations

In other words, get the hell out of Tokyo!

As an outsider, but former politico, I see nothing wrong with how she's managed her job. And it's a tough one. Politics is ugly, and she isn't.

I really hope Koike, a reform-minded, hardworking Governor, wins the second term. Then, perhaps, Prime Minister, next.

Koike for PM, Go Mam Go.

I like Koike for the use of English !! I even aprove of her using "overshoot" in the virus context as well. It is something I have heard in car racing describing very very late braking before a corner and it makes perfect analogy in my head.

English is also the second language for most of the sane people on the planet and Japan feels a bit behind

@rcch

The politicos in Japan are pretty much a waste of time but if pushed I’d put Tsai Ing-wen in charge of Japan...

Akie:

Garbage in, garbage out, what good about voting if all you get is garbage.

Because you can at least vote to take out the garbage. In China, the garbage takes you out.

Strong no smoking bans wins me over. Tougher than the national bans pushed reluctantly by the Central government run by old dudes. Tsukiji delay cost money but was done to clean up the area of toxic materials ignored by Ishihara. She is so much better than he was

@Strangerland

Personally, I like Koike. I think she’s done a decent job.

...a decent job. but most people here just want to criticize. or they need new glasses.

Stating the obvious! When it comes to politics, presentation IS ALL that matters. This has been, is, and will be true for as long as humans exist and engage in politics.

Koike for PM!

Strangerland said "Personally, I like Koike. I think she's done a decent job."

What kind of job did she do personally to make you satisfied ?

Personally, I like Koike. I think she's done a decent job.

While some have accused the 67-year-old of prioritizing "style over substance" and criticized her for allegedly delaying the public health response to the pandemic in hopes of keeping the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on track,

“Accused” and “criticized” sound like it is not a fact whereas they are facts.

although I hate the idea of an LDP backed Nippon Kaigi politician in charge of Tokyo (which controls the rest of Japan), anything is better than Ishihara! Even Anpanman.

@kurisupisu

she can speak english, much better than 99% of the Japanese population. what,s the problem with that? why are you calling her a “wannabe”? don,t worry about her english skills, worry about how most Japanese people can only say hello and sorry. you said she was slow to recognize the coming pandemic because of the Olympics? ok, she was worried about the Olympics, i,ll give you that ( make sure you know the meaning of the word Olympics ), but pretty much the whole world was slow, what,s their excuse? you talked about lockdowns and bankruptcies? take a look on what,s happening around the world ( much worse ). your comment is proof that there,s always a way to go around and try to make someone look bad, sometimes criticize just for the sake of criticizing. it,s hard to connect with politicians, especially if you,re a foreigner in Japan. while she,s not perfect, i think Koike does a much better job connecting with people. she is probably one of the few ( very few ) globally minded Japanese people in the Japanese politics scene.

Garbage in, garbage out, what good about voting if all you get is garbage.

I think she’s doing an outstanding job. I’m impressed. I challenge the critics who post here to take her place and do a better job, kinda like “put up or shut up,” or “walk the walk before you talk the talk.”

"...she is widely expected to win thanks to her name recognition and knack for sloganeering".

Is that the leadership we deserve ?

The human Hello Kitty. She has as much substance. She will win because there really is no other practical choice.

"3 C's" -- a call to avoid high-risk confined spaces, crowded places and close contact.

So much for JR, Tokyo Metro and the buses and taxis. Bye bye!

While some have accused the 67-year-old of prioritizing "style over substance" and criticized her for allegedly delaying the public health response to the pandemic in hopes of keeping the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on track, her effectiveness in managing the crisis has helped cultivate her image as a strong leader.

I agree partially, her focus was on the Olmpics and no one knows how many people could have been saved from getting COVID if she had acted sooner, but even her "style" is more than Abe's "substance"!

Most Japanese have no idea if she is a wannabe English teacher or a politician!

She was slow to recognize the coming pandemic being fixated on the Olympics.

However, after a short unexplained absence, she returned with new programming and a collection of snazzy masks;telling everyone to do this or that while planning a lockdown forcing many into bankruptcy!

The near future will see her revert to the Olympic theme once again (despite the cases increasing) and the money tree will bear fruit...

If you are going to shafted by a politician they should at least present that in a professional manner. Rather then yelling from a mini van.