Veteran politician Yuriko Koike was elected governor of Tokyo today, according to media exit polls, becoming the first woman to lead Japan&#39;s capital. 
 
Public broadcaster NHK, Jiji Press and other media forecast Koike as the winner immediately after polls closed at 8 pm (1100 GMT). 
 
&quot;I will lead Tokyo politics in an unprecedented manner, a Tokyo you have never seen,&quot; Koike, 64, told cheering supporters in a hoarse voice after two weeks of campaigning. 
 
The election, contested by a record field of 21 candidates, was called after previous governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned over a financial scandal. He was the second successive city leader to quit. 
 
A key task for Koike will be dealing with Tokyo&#39;s troubled preparations for the 2020 summer Olympics, which have been plagued by a series of embarrassing scandals and soaring costs. 
 
Euphoria in 2013 at securing the right to host sport&#39;s marquee event has given way to frustration over gaffes and scandals. 
 
Despite the high number of candidates, the race was seen a three-way contest between Koike and two male candidates, a former prefectural governor and a television journalist. 
 
Masuzoe&#39;s predecessor Naoki Inose, who had led the successful bid to win the Games bowed out after becoming embroiled in a personal financial scandal. 
 
Koike, a former TV anchorwoman, speaks fluent English and Arabic, the latter acquired as a student in Cairo and has also served as defence minister and environment minister. 
 
She has compared herself to Hillary Clinton and was once seen as having the best chance to be Japan&#39;s first female prime minister. But she was defeated when running in 2008 for leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. 
 
Koike won the Tokyo election despite failing to obtain the LDP&#39;s backing. 
 
It spurned her for failing to seek its approval before announcing her candidacy. 
 
Koike&#39;s four-year term will extend until just after the Games start and her performance in the run-up will be closely watched. 
 
A key challenge will be getting a grip on swelling costs, seen as possibly double or triple the reported original forecast of 730 billion Yen ($6.92 billion). 
 
The Tokyo Games have also been hit by one embarrassment after another. 
 
Last year Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had to tear up blueprints for a new Olympic stadium because of ballooning costs, while organisers ditched the official logo after the designer was accused of plagiarism. A new one was solicited. 
 
Such fiascoes, however, have since been overshadowed by allegations of corruption, and French prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged bribes linked to Tokyo&#39;s bid. Organisers have denied wrongdoing. 
 
Other key issues in the election were Tokyo&#39;s dire childcare shortage and overseeing disaster response plans and preparations due to perennial earthquake threats to the capital. 
 
(AFP)

The election, contested by 21 candidates, was called after previous governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned over a financial scandal

Veteran politician Yuriko Koike was elected governor of Tokyo today, according to media exit polls, becoming the first woman to lead Japan's capital. Public broadcaster NHK, Jiji Press and other media forecast Koike as the winner immediately after polls closed at 8 pm (1100 GMT). "I will lead Tokyo politics in an unprecedented manner, a Tokyo you have never seen," Koike, 64, told cheering supporters in a hoarse voice after two weeks of campaigning. The election, contested by a record field of 21 candidates, was called after previous governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned over a financial scandal. He was the second successive city leader to quit. A key task for Koike will be dealing with Tokyo's troubled preparations for the 2020 summer Olympics, which have been plagued by a series of embarrassing scandals and soaring costs. Euphoria in 2013 at securing the right to host sport's marquee event has given way to frustration over gaffes and scandals. Despite the high number of candidates, the race was seen a three-way contest between Koike and two male candidates, a former prefectural governor and a television journalist. Masuzoe's predecessor Naoki Inose, who had led the successful bid to win the Games bowed out after becoming embroiled in a personal financial scandal. Koike, a former TV anchorwoman, speaks fluent English and Arabic, the latter acquired as a student in Cairo and has also served as defence minister and environment minister. She has compared herself to Hillary Clinton and was once seen as having the best chance to be Japan's first female prime minister. But she was defeated when running in 2008 for leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Koike won the Tokyo election despite failing to obtain the LDP's backing. It spurned her for failing to seek its approval before announcing her candidacy. Koike's four-year term will extend until just after the Games start and her performance in the run-up will be closely watched. A key challenge will be getting a grip on swelling costs, seen as possibly double or triple the reported original forecast of 730 billion Yen ($6.92 billion). The Tokyo Games have also been hit by one embarrassment after another. Last year Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had to tear up blueprints for a new Olympic stadium because of ballooning costs, while organisers ditched the official logo after the designer was accused of plagiarism. A new one was solicited. Such fiascoes, however, have since been overshadowed by allegations of corruption, and French prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged bribes linked to Tokyo's bid. Organisers have denied wrongdoing. Other key issues in the election were Tokyo's dire childcare shortage and overseeing disaster response plans and preparations due to perennial earthquake threats to the capital. (AFP)

Tokyo elects Yuriko Koike as first woman governor

Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were taken by surprise by the International Olympic Committee&#39;s (IOC) decision to approve a Japanese proposal and recommend the inclusion of five sports in four years&#39; time, Games chief Yoshiro Mori said today. 
 
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the IOC to monitor progress, Mori also said the Olympic body had no questions over a payment during its successful bid to host the 2020 Games that had triggered an investigation back home. 
 
On Wednesday the IOC approved Tokyo&#39;s proposal for five more sports, with baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate to feature at the Games in 2020. 
 
The IOC must now rubber-stamp the decision at its session in Rio de Janeiro in August. 
 
&quot;We planned to make the presentation (for the new sports)... but the IOC took the decision when I was up in the clouds travelling from Tokyo,&quot; Mori told reporters. 
 
&quot;I felt like a heavenly feeling. I felt like up in the clouds because it is a package approval.&quot; 
 
As part of sweeping reforms initiated in 2014, Olympic hosts can bring in sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship as well as a younger generation of fans. 
 
Mori said organisers now would start work on pinning down venues and would present progress reports during the IOC session in Rio. 
 
&quot;We will have to consult with the stakeholders,&quot; Mori said. &quot;We will have to bring something as a result of the work. We have to prepare.&quot; 
 
He said potential venues for all five sports had already been identified and presented to the IOC. 
 
&quot;We have looked into various candidate sites and IOC experts have seen them. They have scored the various candidate sites.&quot; 
 
Mori said the IOC did not ask questions regarding payments of more than $2.0 million to a Singapore bank account during the bidding process in 2012-13. 
 
&quot;Not at all,&quot; he responded when asked whether the issue was raised by the IOC Executive Board. 
 
The account was controlled by a friend of Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former international athletics chief president Lamine Diack. 
 
Tsunekazu Takeda, leader of the group that won Tokyo the Summer Games, has said the payments were legitimate consultancy fees, checked by auditors. 
 
French authorities are investigating Diack senior for alleged corruption, and the Japanese Olympic committee (JOC) has launched its own investigation into the 2020 bid process. 
 
The IOC said last week it saw no reason to doubt assurances from Tokyo about the legitimacy of payments.

The International Olympics committee left organisers of Tokyo Olympics 2020 surprised as they approved the recommendation to include new sports

Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were taken by surprise by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to approve a Japanese proposal and recommend the inclusion of five sports in four years' time, Games chief Yoshiro Mori said today. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the IOC to monitor progress, Mori also said the Olympic body had no questions over a payment during its successful bid to host the 2020 Games that had triggered an investigation back home. On Wednesday the IOC approved Tokyo's proposal for five more sports, with baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate to feature at the Games in 2020. The IOC must now rubber-stamp the decision at its session in Rio de Janeiro in August. "We planned to make the presentation (for the new sports)... but the IOC took the decision when I was up in the clouds travelling from Tokyo," Mori told reporters. "I felt like a heavenly feeling. I felt like up in the clouds because it is a package approval." As part of sweeping reforms initiated in 2014, Olympic hosts can bring in sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship as well as a younger generation of fans. Mori said organisers now would start work on pinning down venues and would present progress reports during the IOC session in Rio. "We will have to consult with the stakeholders," Mori said. "We will have to bring something as a result of the work. We have to prepare." He said potential venues for all five sports had already been identified and presented to the IOC. "We have looked into various candidate sites and IOC experts have seen them. They have scored the various candidate sites." Mori said the IOC did not ask questions regarding payments of more than $2.0 million to a Singapore bank account during the bidding process in 2012-13. "Not at all," he responded when asked whether the issue was raised by the IOC Executive Board. The account was controlled by a friend of Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former international athletics chief president Lamine Diack. Tsunekazu Takeda, leader of the group that won Tokyo the Summer Games, has said the payments were legitimate consultancy fees, checked by auditors. French authorities are investigating Diack senior for alleged corruption, and the Japanese Olympic committee (JOC) has launched its own investigation into the 2020 bid process. The IOC said last week it saw no reason to doubt assurances from Tokyo about the legitimacy of payments.

5 new sports included in Tokyo Olympics 2020

tokyo-olympics-2020

Tokyo Olympics 2020, News on Tokyo Olympics 2020, stories on Tokyo Olympics 2020, articles on Tokyo Olympics 2020, Tokyo Olympics 2020 stories at Wion, Tokyo Olympics 2020 news, Tokyo Olympics 2020 latest news

tokyo olympics-2020

Tokyo elects Yuriko Koike as first woman governor

5 new sports included in Tokyo Olympics 2020