Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has resigned as the leader of Kibo no To (Party of Hope), the party she founded.
Koike’s resignation Tuesday came just over four months after the Tokyo assembly election in July, when things were going her way. Her tailwind changed to a headwind when Kibo lost big in last month’s House of Representatives election.
With her support in the metropolitan government beginning to waver, Koike appears to hope she can right the ship by showing she is focused on running the capital.
“The great reform of Tokyo has been insufficient so far, but now is a crucial time,” Koike told about 1,000 supporters at a fundraising party Tuesday evening for Tomin First no Kai, the regional party she is a special adviser for.
She gave the speech only about 90 minutes after stepping down as Kibo leader.
In the July election, Koike led Tomin to a landslide victory, winning 55 seats when candidates the party endorsed after the election are included.
All 23 candidates backed by Komeito, which had supported the governor, also won, bringing Koike’s strength in the assembly over the 64-seat line needed for a majority.
Yet the wind began to change on Sept. 29, when Koike said she would “exclude” lawmakers from the Democratic Party, who had decided to join Kibo.
Komeito members in the assembly have expressed dissatisfaction with her. “The governor should focus on the metropolitan government,” one Komeito member said.
Koike’s position became even more precarious on Oct. 5, when two Tomin assembly members who had supported her since her run for governor left the party.Speech
