politics

Tokyo governor race a fight to save reputation as 2020 Olympics host

22 Comments
By Elaine Lies

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

22 Comments
Login to comment

I really hope whoever gets the position this time gets it right. Otherwise they might as well just scrap it and let someone else host the event.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yuriko Koike's main claim to fame was interviewing Yasser Arafat back in 1978; she was defence minister for only 54 days, and has done little since, though she is a member of many right-wing and nationalist committees and groups, such as the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform, and is a strong proponent of the Article 9 revision.

She is a member of the Diet members' group to promote Yasukuni Shrine visits, led by Yoshinobu Shimamura, and goes to worship the war dead at the shrine on War-End Day, 15 August, almost every year, or sends a proxy when she can't.

Could be a poor choice for Tokyo as it tries to increase the number of visitors and tourists.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Tokyo governor race a fight to save reputation

A.k.a. closing the barn door after the horse.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

“It’s not quite like the UK (Brexit) referendum, but I think a lot of people are annoyed with the result - and this is the first chance to measure their feelings,” he said.

How can people be annoyed with the result when they overwhelmingly voted for Abe and his Policies. It is as if a gun was pointed at voters and were forced to vote for Abe and his pro-constitution change groups.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Is the new stadium finished yet?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

>How can people be annoyed with the result when they overwhelmingly voted for Abe and his Policies.

In Tokyo non-LDP/Komeito candidates got considerably more votes overall than the Abe candidates did, yet the seats gained were evenly split, three each. People are right to be annoyed, the result isn't what they voted for.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/election/sangiin/2016/kaihyou/ye13.html

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Strangely, the story above only says "a well-known liberal journalist" is in the governorship race. Actually this is Shuntaro Torigoe ... and it was Torigoe in his candidacy announcement who said he will check into what is happening on the Olympics situation. This probably makes Jiminto shudder because these people want to control the Olympics ... both what Japan does in the upcoming Rio Games and in Tokyo's 2020 Games. There is a lot of money floating around concerning the Olympics ... and ... as we have already seen and witnessed ... Jiminto people cannot be trusted with big time money ... especiall all that money involving the Olympics. Hopefully Torigoe can win the Tokyo governorship slot and proceed to look into the Olympics situation ... funding, spending ... pocketing of money? ... the full scale ...

Good luck, Torigoe-san ... and believe me ... you're gonna need it ...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Is the new stadium finished yet?

I live in the Meiji Jingu Gaien area within a few hundred meters of the 'hole in the ground'. So far not much has happened. There is a huge fence around the construction site but peeping through some small openings once in a while I cannot yet see any real progress but there are dozens of lorries every morning parking on Gaien Nishi Dori waiting to unload sand or other building material.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@taito The 'hole in the gound' is probably being filled up with yen notes and suited reputations. Who know, it might fill up quicker that way. Keep us posted on the hole please, you're our man on the ground!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

There would definitely be better and many more areas to use that money!>

I've always maintained that the Olympics should be done by country, not city. Tokyo is receiving a bucket load of money from all of our taxes, yet only they get to hold the events. They also get all of the pressure and responsibility. Imagine if events like kayaking were held in Hakuba or Minakami, rowing at the foot of Fuji, or martial arts in Kyoto. It would be incredible PR for the whole country. The new governor should reach out, plenty of areas would love to help them out of this fix.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Personally, I hope the new governor will be someone who is intelligent and brave enough to end all the fuss about the Olympics. I have been against Tokyo hosting the Olympics, and, as a Tokyo taxpayer, I will remain an uncooperative citizen till the fuss is hopefully over in 2010.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I would be very surprised if any significant fraction of the foreign visitors who come for the Tokyo Olympics will have any interest whatsoever in who is the governor of Tokyo. They will come to watch the athletes in action, not the governor.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Probably having no one as governor is the best option. So-called "leaders" create roadblocks against development and progress that occurs organically in societies. They all just get in the way like a being a giant, 24-hour selfie.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think the more we keep the metropolitan and national governments away from the games, the better off we will all be.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"taito: Is the new stadium finished yet? I live in the Meiji Jingu Gaien area within a few hundred meters of the 'hole in the ground'. So far not much has happened. There is a huge fence around the construction site but peeping through some small openings once in a while I cannot yet see any real progress ......"

I too live close by, but high enough up to see over the fence. Yes, I am taking photos. No, not much is happening, except that when it rains the 'hole in the ground' turns into a big muddy puddle. They are still working on "infrastructure", and I think that the nasty smells in recent weeks came from work to the Furukawa River and drainage system running between Gaien Nishi Dori and the stadium. Pooh!

Let's hope that with a new, competent and honest governor Tokyo finally gets its act together in delivering the promised Olympics.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tokyo governor race a fight to save reputation as 2020 Olympics host

Are the candidates mentioned in this article the leading ones? If so, there's no saving of the reputation. And if the Tokyo voters are so upset by the recent elections, they would show it by not voting for another right-winger for governor, right?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The July 31 poll pits Japan’s first female defense minister against a competent but colorless ex-bureaucrat backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party and a well-known liberal journalist supported by four opposition parties, along with a slate of less-known candidates.

To the author of the article here...."Competent but colorless"....is this your own observation? Are you copying someone else's comments? If so who wrote it?

How can you or anyone make a blatant statement claiming a Japanese politician is "competent"? Where is the proof of his competency? What facts do you have? I would say that he is inept, if he is a former cabinet minister, if he was "competent" he'd still be there and not running for Tokyo Gov.

As a employee, or even per article writer, for Rueter's I would suggest you do a better job.

Oh this is extraneous as well and means nothing, trying to make Tokyo's election on par with UK? Very funny..NOT Even if you put in the "not on par", you leave a kernel of information that it's just as big. It aint!

It’s not quite like the UK (Brexit) referendum, but I think a lot of people are annoyed with the result - and this is the first chance to measure their feelings,” he said.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Save the reputation of Tokyo as Olympic host? That's nonsense.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

First, cabinet ministers aren't in their posts for life. Masuda was in the cabinet several governments ago. Is Ishihara Junior's current cabinet post any proof of "competence?" He's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Masuda was also governor of Iwate for two terms, where he led quite competently. But he doesn't have the world's chattiest personality and yes, is kind of colorless.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, it would be really nice to see the return of trashcans in the stations again. I'm hoping that smoking inside anywhere will be banned as well. Please, promise that with the return of Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites