Photo/Illutration Tomoka Okubo, left, with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike during her campaign in the Koto ward mayoral election on Dec. 9 (Kaho Matsuda)

A candidate backed by the ruling coalition parties and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike was elected mayor of Tokyo’s Koto Ward after the former mayor resigned while under investigation for suspected illegal election campaign tactics.

Tomoka Okubo, a former senior Tokyo metropolitan government employee, garnered 57,029 votes and defeated four rivals in the Dec. 10 election.

Okubo, 52, was supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, junior coalition partner, Komeito, the Democratic Party for the People and Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), the regional party founded by Koike.

Her closest rival, Natsumi Sakai, received 34,292 votes. Sakai, 37, was backed by opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.

One of the election issues was regaining public trust in politics.

Yayoi Kimura, who won the mayoral election in April, stepped down only six months later following prosecutors’ investigations into suspicions that her campaign ran illegal paid internet advertising.

Using paid internet ads featuring a candidate’s name for an election campaign is prohibited under the Public Offices Election Law.

Kimura was formerly an LDP Lower House member.

Mito Kakizawa, an LDP Lower House member elected from Koto Ward, also resigned as state minister of justice for advising Kimura’s campaign about video ads.

Okubo fought the election primarily with backing from Koike, who serves as special adviser to Tomin First no Kai.

Koike gave stump speeches for Okubo in between her official duties as governor. Koike's photograph was featured on Okubo's campaign poster. 

The LDP, which has taken a hit from Kimura’s resignation and a political funds scandal surrounding its intraparty factions, kept a low profile.

Voter turnout was a record-low 39.20 percent, compared with 48.86 percent in the previous election.

Okubo pledged to prioritize ward residents’ life by drawing on her 30-year career at the metropolitan government, where she was involved in social welfare and child care support.

Okubo has said she was shocked when her 22-year-old daughter told her that young people today do not want to have children due to the social and economic strain.

She said her daughter’s words made her run for the ward mayor to improve life for residents.

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