S/ Koike Yuriko, Tokyo Governor: We must further upgrade major reforms in Tokyo.

In the speech following her win, Koike Yuriko highlighted her eight years of achievements, including the expansion of child-rearing support.

She conducted her campaign by leveraging her high profile and by using social media, securing approximately 2.92 million votes to win her third term.

Ishimaru Shinji, former mayor of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, came in second place with about 1.66 million votes, followed by Renho, a former Constitutional Democratic Party Diet lawmaker who came in third.

Ishimaru received the most support from independent voters in the exit poll conducted by Nippon TV in collaboration with the Yomiuri Shimbun.

The Tokyo gubernatorial election saw a record-high 56 candidates running, with a voter turnout of 60.62 percent, which is 5.62 points higher than the previous election.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party had candidates in eight electoral districts for the concurrent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by-elections held alongside the gubernatorial election.

However, they lost in six of these districts. This devastating defeat is being harshly received within the party.

One young LDP member said that it was not a victory for the LDP but rather for Governor Koike personally.

Lawmakers who actively campaigned in the by-elections are deeply concerned that distrust of the LDP is bottomless, with backlash against political and financial issues.

When interviewing LDP lawmakers, many emphasized the need to use the September leadership election as an opportunity to rebuild the party.

Another young lawmaker said, “We need to send a message that the LDP will be different from before.”

A veteran legislator pointed out that party members need to break away from the old LDP and choose a new party leader.