Koike to declare candidacy for re-election as Tokyo governor

Koike is a chameleon, like many other politicians here, she changes parties, or positions, to keep herself in office.

She is competent, but she also is of the exact same cloth as Abe and the rest of the LDP.

Dont be fooled by what you see on the surface!

HAMBURGERToday 06:37 am JST

She'll be prime minister someday.

No she won't, a lot of the LDP old boys hate her guts.

Hence, all important projects must be recorded and modifications or deletion of public documents must be securely regulated. And all documents, except for protecting privacy, must be available to public.There are many others such as regulations for smoking in public space and regulations for protecting child abuse. etc.

Yes, all good stuff, but it just means that she's a savvy populist politician who can address voters concerns. She's still a hawkish right-winger, a Nippon Kaigi member and she cancelled the traditional eulogies for Korean residents murdered after the 1923 Tokyo earthquake.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170825/p2a/00m/0na/015000c

She is just as bad as all the rest of the underhand self serving politicians..

By the fact she’s Nippon Kaigi, possibly.

Moving forward Japan will face some tough times and I don't feel confident in our ability to face those challenges with Koike at the wheel. Governor I support her position and realection. Not as prime Minister though.

Good thing the Tokyo Alert was lifted just in time for this.

She was a member of Nippon Kaigi Kokkai-Giin Kondankai, not Nippon Kaigi. Many people get confused.

This is why I don't understand the Japanese right wingers.

They hate Koreans so much that they never dare to do a thing against the Chinese. They sprout conspiracy nonsenses against Koreans controlling Japanese economy, like Masayoshi Son. They never think about Kabukeicho as a Chinese town and many Japanese companies have high Chinese ownership, or Japanese stores/superstores are super reliant on Chinese buyers and investors. Guess what, they enjoy vandalizing Korean towns and insulting Zainichi Koreans. Not a member of Nippon Kaigi ever insulted China, on the level against Koreans. LDP cronies are willing to do a trade war against South Korea, the strongest type of action that Nippon Kaigi ever influenced. None of these cronies takes action against China for Hong Kong crisis, harassment of Japanese businesses in China and more.

The double standard is amazing with Nippon Kaigi.

Are you kidding? How could the voters forget that she wanted the marathon (and other long-distance races) to be in Tokyo in the July/August sweltering heat? Athletes would have died! And then she refused to delay the Olympics until PM Abe stepped in to agree with the IOC to delay until next year. Can you imagine if the Olympics would have begun next month?

Not like there is anyone better anyway. I'm only worried about how much she's going to lie about Corona numbers again to inflate her personal worth, and keep the Olympics (which I'm sure will be among her promises), then inflate her self-importance and how concerned she is once the other things are gone.

More nothing to come.

She'll be prime minister someday.

The Governor of OSAKA will be a much better choice!

As someone who was one of five vice secretaries generals of the Diet Members' Committee of Nippon Kaigi, she’ll get re-elected.

Christopher Glen:

By the fact she’s Nippon Kaigi, possibly.

She was a member of Nippon Kaigi Kokkai-Giin Kondankai, not Nippon Kaigi. Many people get confused.

She'll be prime minister someday.

I support Koike. One of her greatest achievements in her first term was enacting 東京都公文書等の管理に関する条例 (Regulations for Tokyo Public Documents).

Last few years, Abe administration had a series of problems concerning public documents related to various scandals related to Abe personally. Some documents were modified or deleted by his administration to protect the prime minster. Others were blocked by his administrations from viewing.

Koike found the similar issue in Tokyo Metropolitan Government when she tried to investigate an expensive project for a new Toyosu Fish Market don under her predecessor, Ishihara. Documents were missing: either deleted or never officially recorded. So her first task was to create a comprehensive laws to regulate public documents. Hence, all important projects must be recorded and modifications or deletion of public documents must be securely regulated. And all documents, except for protecting privacy, must be available to public.

There are many others such as regulations for smoking in public space and regulations for protecting child abuse. etc.

The only problem I see with Tokyo as well as Koike herself so far, is the lack of "transparency".

While national government sessions are televised and include the entire session, much of the activities get done as a "party" (by allparties with their own agendas and without open hearings) rather than by the entire legislators themselves on the same floor, that also prevents "transparency".

Japan is a parliamentary democracy similar to Britain. Leadership is a reprentative of a group. That is the difference between a parliamentary system as with Britain and the US with the President with executive power an is the leader. So it is difficult to point a finger at a person in leadership position as we can in a business or a corporation. That system adds to the limited or lack of transparency which we all wish we had.

She thinks she did a good job been a governor of tokyo and she’s confident of winning it

Kyushubill

That gave us the more than inept Hatoyama, Kan, and Noda all in just 3 years. More inept than the LDP..

Seems like you drank the kool aid provided by LDP centric mainstream media. They tried wresting decision making from bureaucrats to politicians, headed by Renho they questioned bureaucrats and tried to reduce government waste created by bureaucrats forming shady ziombie amakudari companies, they reduced tolls, increased child support and were even for PR voting. One thing is certain with them taxpayer money won't be handed to dentsu and the like or wasted on cloth mask while the people are given crumbs.

HAMBURGER June 12 06:37 am JST

She'll be prime minister someday.

No. It won't come to that.

Koike is too old to make that political leap. He's 67 years old. 

Maybe if I was 20 years younger. I'm sure I would have tried. However, she has already made history by being one of the first women politicians to reach the top in Japanese democratic history. Breaking a lot of taboos, within a broadly male dominated society. Being also that he comes from a humble level of society. And he was largely raised abroad.

That will be his legacy.

Doug - your comment is strange. You refer to Koike, but then go on to use 'I' and 'he'. Koike is female, and not you.

Strangerland Today 01:56 am JST

Doug - your comment is strange. You refer to Koike, but then go on to use 'I' and 'he'. Koike is female, and not you.

I'm sorry. I admit my English is pretty bad. But if people can understand what I want to convey in my messages. I'll be happy.

I'm sorry. I admit my English is pretty bad. But if people can understand what I want to convey in my messages. I'll be happy.

Ok. I just wasn't sure if you were referring to one person or more.

Are you kidding? How could the voters forget that she wanted the marathon (and other long-distance races) to be in Tokyo in the July/August sweltering heat? Athletes would have died! And then she refused to delay the Olympics until PM Abe stepped in to agree with the IOC to delay until next year. Can you imagine if the Olympics would have begun next month?

You have a very selective memory; ABE was no more eager than she to delay, the IOC completely forced his hand and he was only their mouthpiece. She wanted the marathon to STAY in Tokyo, a decision that was made behind her back by Mori et al (who really hate her guts), because that's where it should be, really. It's not her fault the 2020 Organizing Committee completely misrepresented Tokyo's weather in the summer and the IOC had a collective moment of stupidity. She wasn't even governor when the Olympics were won. So, blame her for all you want but don't blame her for these two things, they weren't her fault.

I keep it simple.

With all her faults and knowing her stand against foreigners, I support her for Governor Mr of Tokyo and future PM. She is head and shoulders above the rest.

I do not understand why some people think "a woman needs to be Prime Minister". Shouldn't a Prime Minister be qualified for the role. Why would anyone want a female Abe or God forbid female Aso.

Remember the "The DPJ needs the majority so the Prime Minister is DPJ". That gave us the more than inept Hatoyama, Kan, and Noda all in just 3 years. More inept than the LDP. If the woman is qualified fine. I hope that woman is not Koike. She is just Abe and Aso in female form.

At least with Koike we will have 'entertainment industry' (karaoke, host /hostess clubs, soaplands, deri-health, etc) workers Covid 19 tested frequently.

i,m gonna say it ... i sympathize with her, and she,s not as bad as you guys think... not perfect, sure, but she can be the beginning of a much needed change in Japan ( btw she,s a woman )... we gotta start somewhere, right? if she eventually wants to become the Japanese Prime Minister ( which i believe it,s in her plans ), i say go for it, imo that,ll be good for Japan and the Japanese people...

The lowest infected city, yet was ripped off Olympics. How competent she is.