July 8, 2024

Former House of Councilors member Renho, the candidate backed by concerned citizens and opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, put up a good fight but failed to win in the Tokyo gubernatorial election held on July 7.

Renho received 1,283,262 votes or 18.8% of the total. The incumbent candidate, Koike Yuriko, obtained 2,918,015 votes, securing her third term in office. The voter turnout rate was 60.62%.

On the night of election day, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira visited Renho’s campaign office and expressed his respect for Renho’s strenuous efforts. He also expressed his gratitude to those who voted for the opposition/citizens candidate and worked hard for Renho’s victory.

Koike pointed out that Renho ran for Tokyo governor to call for shifting away from the LDP-led government and the Tokyo government led by Koike Yuriko. He went on to point out that Renho, during her campaign, listened to Tokyo citizens’ demands and updated her election manifesto to meet their demands. He stressed that Renho’s stance contributed to creating a new type of civil movement as shown by the fact that individuals or a small groups of people voluntarily held street campaigns in support of Renho at various locations in Tokyo. He said, “The diverse nature of citizens who volunteered to help in the campaign reflects the power of Japan’s democracy. I certainly believe that this movement will surely become a major force in changing the future politics of Tokyo and Japan.”

He said, “The JCP will continue to work hard to reform the Tokyo government to one which implements policies centering on Tokyo citizens.”

Past related article:
> Campaigning begins for Tokyo gubernatorial election [June 21, 2024]