2016 Tokyo gubernatorial election#/media/File:Tokyo gubernatorial election 2016.svg
{{short description|Election for Governor of Tokyo}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2016 Tokyo gubernatorial election
| country = Tokyo
| flag_image = Flag of Tokyo Metropolis.svg
| type = Gubernatorial
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2014 Tokyo gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 2014
| election_date = 31 July 2016
| next_election = 2020 Tokyo gubernatorial election
| next_year = 2020
| turnout = 59.73% {{increase}} 13.59 pp
| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Yuriko Koike 2016.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 150|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| colour1 = 008000
| candidate1 = Yuriko Koike
| party1 = Independent (politician)
| popular_vote1 = 2,912,628
| percentage1 = 44.49%
| 1blank = Supported by
| 1data1 = —
| title = Governor
| before_election = Yoichi Masuzoe
| before_party = Independent (politician)
| after_election = Yuriko Koike
| after_party = Independent (politician)
| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Hiroya Masuda 200708.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 150|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| candidate2 = Hiroya Masuda
| party2 = Independent (politician)
| colour2 = 288B57
| popular_vote2 = 1,793,453
| percentage2 = 27.4%
| 1data2 = LDP, Komeito, Kokoro
| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image =ShuntaroTorigoe cropped.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 150|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| candidate3 = Shuntaro Torigoe
| party3 = Independent (politician)
| colour3 = 0000CD
| popular_vote3 = 1,346,103
| percentage3 = 20.56%
| 1data3 = DP, JCP, SDP, PLP, TSN
| map = {{Switcher
|File:2016 Tokyo Gubernatorial Election by municipalities.svg
| Election results by municipality, winner vote share. Koike in dark green and Masuda in light green.
| File:Tokyo gubernatorial election 2016.svg
| Election results by municipality, margin of victory. Koike in green and Masuda in red.}}
| map_caption = Koike swept all main island municipalities except Hinohara village, she won her largest margin in Toshima ward in her former lower house district, Masuda only carried Hinohara and a few towns and villages on the Izu islands.
}}
The 2016 Tokyo gubernatorial election took place on 31 July 2016 to elect the successor to Governor Yoichi Masuzoe, who submitted his resignation to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on 15 June 2016.{{cite web|url=http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160615-00000043-jij-pol|title=舛添氏が辞職願＝21日付、政治資金流用で引責—都議会の不信任前に|trans-title=Masuzoe submits resignation dated 21st, takes responsibility for misuse of funds before no-confidence vote|publisher=Yahoo Japan|access-date=15 June 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615040058/http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160615-00000043-jij-pol|archivedate=15 June 2016}} By-elections in four of Tokyo's cities were held on the same day to fill vacancies in the Assembly.
Former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike won the election by a wide margin. Turnout increased sharply to 59% from 46% in the previous election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/yuriko-koike-elected-governor-of-tokyo-first-woman-in-post-1469967380|title=Yuriko Koike Elected Governor of Tokyo, First Woman in Post|last=Landers|first=Peter|date=2016-07-31|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|issn=0099-9660|access-date=2016-08-01}}
Background
Yoichi Masuzoe, a former national Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare, was elected in the February 2014 election. At the election he was endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito and received more than 2.11 million votes, more than double his nearest opponent in the seven-candidate race. He replaced Naoki Inose, who had resigned in the second year of his four-year term due to a political funds scandal.
In May 2016 reports surfaced concerning Masuzoe's misuse of public funds, including the use of his chauffeur-driven government car to travel to and from his holiday house on most weekends. As examination into his spending continued, it was found that he had misused funds to purchase items for personal use, including art, comics, and meals, as well as paying for his family to stay in hotels that were accounted as meeting-related expenses. An independent investigation ultimately determined that he had acted inappropriately but not illegally. Despite this, surveys showed that more than 90% of Tokyo residents were dissatisfied with how he handled the issue and the lack of a clear explanation.
As pressure grew on Masuzoe to resign, a no-confidence motion jointly submitted by all of the parties represented in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was to be put to a vote on the afternoon of 15 June. As the motion was likely to pass and wanting to avoid further disruption to the governing of the city, Masuzoe submitted his resignation to assembly President Shigeo Kawai on the morning of the 15th, to become effective as of 21 June.
Candidates
A total of 21 candidates were nominated for the election.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/14/national/politics-diplomacy/campaign-kicks-off-tokyo-governor-race/ |title=Campaign kicks off for Tokyo governor race |work=Japan Times |last=Aoki |first=Mizuho |date=14 July 2016 |access-date=15 July 2016}} Yuriko Koike, a former Minister of Defence and incumbent member for the Tokyo 10th district in the House of Representatives, announced her candidacy despite not receiving an endorsement from the Liberal Democratic Party. Instead, the LDP (along with Komeito and the Party for Japanese Kokoro) endorsed Hiroya Masuda, who is a former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and former governor of Iwate Prefecture.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/11/national/politics-diplomacy/ldps-masuda-gets-official-tokyo-gubernatorial-nod-former-commentator-koga-weighs-dp-bid/ |title=LDP's Masuda gets official Tokyo gubernatorial nod as former commentator Koga weighs DP bid |last1=Aoki |first1=Mizuho |last2=Osumi |first2=Magdalena |work=Japan Times |date=11 July 2016 |access-date=15 July 2016}} Actor Junichi Ishida was approached by the Democratic Party but ultimately declined to run. Ultimately, the Democratic Party and other opposition parties (including the Communist and Social Democratic parties) endorsed veteran journalist Shuntaro Torigoe. Kenji Utsunomiya, former head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and a candidate in the two previous gubernatorial elections, announced his intention to run on 11 July but withdrew two days later.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/13/national/politics-diplomacy/tokyo-gubernatorial-candidates-name-nurseries-school-fees-cancer-key-issues/ |title=Utsunomiya withdraws from Tokyo gubernatorial race to boost opposition-supported Torigoe |work=Japan Times |last=Osaki |first=Tomohiro |date=13 July 2016 |access-date=15 July 2016}}
The Guardian stated that the election "has piqued interest not only because of the size of the task which falls to its victor, but also for the mud slinging and misogyny which has characterised the fight between the candidates." Former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara made disparaging remarks regarding Koike's age and use of makeup, and characterized Torigoe as a "traitor to his country" for questioning Japanese protection of the Senkaku Islands. Torigoe was attacked in a tabloid magazine with allegations that he seduced a 20-year-old university student ten years earlier, in what some viewed as a deliberate smear campaign by his opposition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/29/dirtiest-race-tokyo-governors-election-sex-scandal-misogny|title=Tokyo turmoil: race to rule world's largest city mired in sex scandal and misogyny|last=Foster|first=Martin|date=2016-07-29|website=the Guardian|access-date=2016-08-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36901335|title=Tokyo's ill-tempered election – BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-08-01}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Name
!Age !Party !Notes |
|---|
| Shōgo Takahashi
| 32 | |
| Yujiro Taniyama
| 43 | Independent | |
| Makoto Sakurai
| 44 | Independent | Founder of Zaitokukai. The election placed him fifth place, with 114,171 votes or 1.74% of the popular vote.{{cite web |url= http://www.asahi.com/senkyo/tochijisen/2016/vote/?y=2016&n=sakurai_makoto|title= 2016東京都知事選[2016 Tokyo Gubernatorial Election]|author= |date= |website= |publisher= Asahi Shimbun|access-date= 2017-01-27|quote=|language=Japanese}} |
| Shuntaro Torigoe
| 76 | Independent | |
| Hiroya Masuda
| 64 | Independent | Former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, former governor of Iwate Prefecture |
| Mac Akasaka
| 67 | Independent | Perennial candidate |
| Toshio Yamaguchi
| 75 | People's Sovereignty Party | Former Minister of Labour |
| Masaaki Yamanaka
| 52 | Future Creation Management Practice Party | |
| Teruki Gotō
| 33 | Independent | Known for his naked election posters |
| Masatoshi Kishimoto
| 63 | Independent | |
| Yuriko Koike
| 64 | Independent | Former Minister of Defence |
| Takashi Uesugi
| 48 | Independent | |
| Hiroko Nanami
|32 | |
| Chōzō Nakagawa
| 60 | Independent | Former mayor of Kasai, Hyōgo |
| Yasuhiro Sekiguchi
| 64 | Independent | |
| Takashi Tachibana
| 48 | Former Funabashi city councillor |
| Masahiro Miyazaki
| 61 |Independent | |
| Sadao Imao
| 76 | Independent | |
| Yoshihiko Mochizuki
| 51 | Independent | |
| Naoko Takei
| 51 | Independent | |
| Hisao Naitō
| 59 | Independent | |
Results
{{Election box begin | title=Tokyo gubernatorial election, 2016{{Cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/senkyo/tochijisen/2020/kaihyo/|title=開票速報｜2020都知事選（東京都知事選挙）：朝日新聞デジタル|first=|last=|website=朝日新聞デジタル}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/election/local/tochijisen2020/results/kouho17/|title=市川浩司（いちかわ・ひろし） : 東京都知事選2020 候補者・結果 : 東京都知事選2020 : 地方選 : 選挙・世論調査（選挙）|date=June 19, 2020|website=読売新聞オンライン}}}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|colour = #008000
|candidate = Yuriko Koike
|votes = 2,912,628
|percentage = 44.49%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent (Supported by LDP, Komeito, Party for Japanese Kokoro)
|colour = #288B57
|candidate = Hiroya Masuda
|votes = 1,793,453
|percentage = 27.40%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent (Supported by Democrats, Communist, Social Democrats, PLP, TSN)
|color = #0000CD
|candidate = Shuntaro Torigoe
|votes = 1,346,103
|percentage = 20.56%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|colour = #E5004F
|candidate = Takashi Uesugi
|votes = 179,631
|percentage = 2.74%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Japan First Party
|candidate = Makoto Sakurai
|votes = 114,171
|percentage = 1.74%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Smile
|colour = #B51515
|candidate = Mac Akasaka
|votes = 43,912
|percentage = 0.72%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Happiness Realization Party
|candidate = Hiroko Nanami
|votes = 28,809
|percentage = 0.44%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = NHK Party
|candidate = Takashi Tachibana
|votes = 27,242
|percentage = 0.42%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Shōgo Takahashi
|votes = 16,664
|percentage = 0.25%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Chōzō Nakagawa
|votes = 16,584
|percentage = 0.25%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = People's Sovereignty Party
|colour = #008C76
|candidate = Toshio Yamaguchi
|votes = 15,986
|percentage = 0.24%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Masatoshi Kishimoto
|votes = 8,056
|percentage = 0.12%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Teruki Gotō
|votes = 7,031
|percentage = 0.11%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Yujiro Taniyama
|votes = 6,759
|percentage = 0.1%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Yoshihiko Mochizuki
|votes = 4,605
|percentage = 0.07%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Masahiro Miyazaki
|votes = 4,010
|percentage = 0.06%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Yoshihiko Mochizuki
|votes = 3,332
|percentage = 0.05%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Future Creation Management Practice Party
|colour = #1283CD
|candidate = Masaki Yamanaka
|votes = 3,332
|percentage = 0.05%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Sadao Imao
|votes = 3,105
|percentage = 0.05%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Hisao Naitō
|votes = 2,695
|percentage = 0.04%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|party = Independent
|candidate = Yasuhiro Sekiguchi
|votes = 1,326
|percentage = 0.02%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 6,620,407
|percentage = 59.73%
|change = {{increase}} 13.59%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Tokyo elections}}
Category:Tokyo gubernatorial elections