Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has finally thrown her hat in the ring, declaring on Wednesday her intent to run for a third term as governor in the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election just a week before campaigning kicks off.
The announcement on the last day of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly session came after weeks of anticipation during which the 71-year-old incumbent has been in a “secret running” mode, or essentially starting campaigning without officially declaring her candidacy.
“For the people of Tokyo, I want to make Tokyo better — taking in support from others who share these same feelings, I am determined to carry out an upgraded, Tokyo reform 3.0,” Koike said. “With this determination I have decided to run for the Tokyo gubernatorial election in July.”