TOKYO: Voters in Tokyo went to the polls on Sunday (Jul 5) to elect their governor, with incumbent Yuriko Koike forecast to clinch a victory, as Japan's capital struggles with rebounding coronavirus infections and prepares for next year's Olympics.
Cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 rose for a fourth straight day to a two-month high of 131 on Saturday, the third day in a row over 100. The metropolis accounts for 11 per cent of Japan's population, but has represented half of the country's daily infections in recent weeks.
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Koike, who became Tokyo's first woman governor in 2016, saw her popularity surge this year as her straight-talking approach to the outbreak won the public's support.
"I think she has been working hard on the coronavirus. As a woman, I want her to keep on doing a good job," Tomiko Kawano, 80, told Reuters after voting for her.
Recent media polls showed Koike, often floated as a potential prime minister, commanding a comfortable lead over other contenders including Kenji Utsunomiya, former president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
The winner of Sunday's election will face a difficult task of trying to curb the virus without overly stifling business in the capital, which accounts for about 20 per cent of Japan's economy.
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People wearing protective masks amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, make their way during rush hour at a railway station in Tokyo, Japan, Jul 3, 2020. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
Preventive measures pushed Japan, the world's third-biggest economy, into a receRead More – Source
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