For all the talk about Japan’s low position in gender equality rankings, it seems that the country’s political and economic heart will certainly have a woman at the helm in the next decade.
The race to become governor of Tokyo is officially on and will determine who gets control of a region that makes up more than 20% of the national economy and has a budget of $100 billion, about the size of Sweden’s. More than fifty candidates are vying for votes, but the choice will come down to one of two women in a battle of famous former news anchors.
Incumbent Yuriko Koike, a former journalist, news presenter and defense minister, is vying for a third term after becoming the first woman to lead the capital in 2016. But this time she faces Renho Saito, a former swimsuit model and TV host. and leader of Japan’s opposition, who may be the only female politician in the country with a profile that matches that of the governor.
