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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Tokyo election: demographic crisis the top issue as two women vie for job of governor

Candidates for the Tokyo gubernatorial election, Yuriko Koike (L) and member of the House of Councillors Renho.
Candidates for the Tokyo gubernatorial election, Yuriko Koike (L) and member of the House of Councillors Renho. Photograph: Getty Images

The race to become Tokyo’s next governor has kicked off, with two women in the lead to run the world’s most populous city – a rarity in a country where comparatively few women occupy high political office.

Millions of voters in Tokyo will elect their governor early next month. The successful candidate’s most urgent job has a more familiar ring, however: to address the capital’s accelerating demographic crisis.

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