CCTV — The first female governor of Tokyo has started her new job at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office on Tuesday (August 2), after her election victory at the weekend.
Yuriko Koike was welcomed by hundreds of staff and Tokyo residents with warm applause and flowers adorned with green ribbon, her election campaign colour.
The sprawling city of some 13.5 million people faces a plethora of problems such as an ageing population, daycare shortages, and the ever-present possibility of a big earthquake.
A major issue in the campaign was the 2020 Olympics, which Japan hopes will spur its economy as it struggles to escape decades of deflation.
Construction of the main stadium has been delayed and the original logo for the games had to be scrapped after plagiarism accusations.
After the resignations of the city’s two previous governors, Koike will be responsible for saving Tokyo’s reputation as host for the games.