Tokyo (AFP)

Residents of Tokyo elect their governor on Sunday, a vote dominated by the postponement of the summer Olympics for a year and a resurgence of coronavirus cases in this city, among the most populous in the world.

Outgoing governor Yuriko Koike, 67, an experienced right-wing politician and skilled communicator, who challenged Conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by creating a party in 2017 in the last national election, far outperforms his 21 competitors in the polls.

Elected hands down in 2016, the first woman to head the immense capital, she has returned to the forefront of the national scene in recent months by her management of the coronavirus crisis, relentlessly informing her 14 million d 'administered, including in English, a rare initiative in Japan.

She had also taken the lead in late March even before the declaration of a state of emergency by Mr. Abe in April to encourage the Tokyoites to practice telework wherever possible, in a country where a culture of long office hours.

The election comes against the backdrop of an increase in infections with more than 100 cases of Covid-19 observed daily in Tokyo in recent days, many of which come from host and hostess clubs.

- OJ in question -

In an interview with AFP in mid-June, Ms. Koike said she was "preparing for a second wave" of contamination while promising to "mobilize 120%" to organize "Games in a safe and serene environment".

Its main competitors among the record number of candidates are Kenji Utsunomiya, a 73-year-old lawyer supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party and two other opposition parties and Taro Yamamoto, 45, a former actor and founder of the opposition Reiwa party. Shinsengumi.

Mr. Utsunomiya has promised to strengthen the medical system in the capital saturated by the pandemic.

Mr. Yamamoto promises to cancel the Olympic Games if he is elected, a promise that responds to a growing reluctance of the Japanese vis-à-vis the Olympics, whose opening is now scheduled for July 23, 2021 in following a historic postponement due to the epidemic.

Just over half of Tokyo residents believe the Games should either be postponed again or canceled, according to the results of a survey released in late June.

"This event is used for money (...) If the coronavirus is a cause for concern, then we should decide not to organize it," AFP told an office leaving. votes Hayato Kinoshita, 37, owner of a real estate agency.

Kazuhiro Mawatari, a university professor, says that "measures to deal with natural disasters are the most important in this region." He said "not being able to trust a lot" in "a candidate who does not pay enough attention to it because of the coronavirus and the Olympic Games".

- "Just a cold" -

Among the colorful candidates is Masayuki Hiratsuka, a 38-year-old youtuber who says the new coronavirus "is just a cold" and that people "don't care about a new lifestyle" focused on social distancing.

Takashi Tachibana, 52, has promised to "destroy" the NHK public television channel, which he accuses of making people pay whether or not they want to watch it. He is still cited as one of the top five candidates by the Japanese media.

Koike, who had joined the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) in power almost continuously since 1955 in 2002, ran an independent online campaign with the support of PLD leaders. This training did not support it in 2016, betting on a male candidate.

The results of the polls taken outside the polling stations were to be published shortly after the polls closed at 8:00 p.m. (11:00 GMT).

© 2020 AFP