Tokyo Citizens Vote to Elect Assembly Members

   Tokyo, June 22 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo citizens cast their ballots Sunday to elect the 127 members of the Japanese capital's metropolitan assembly, with political parties closely watching the results in the lead-up to the House of Councillors election next month.
   Some 1,800 polling stations opened across Tokyo at 7 a.m. Voting will be closed at 8 p.m., except in some areas, and ballot counting will begin immediately. Broad results are expected to come out late at night.
   As of 3 p.m., voter turnout was 17.63 pct, against 18.12 pct at the same time in the previous metropolitan assembly election. As of Saturday, the total number of voters was 1,729,224, a record high, according to Tokyo's election board.
   A total of 295 candidates, the most since the start of the previous Heisei era in Japan, ran in 42 electoral districts In the assembly race, discussing issues including measures to cope with inflation and a political funds scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
   The main focus is whether the LDP will remain the largest force in the metropolitan assembly or be toppled by Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites first group), a regional party backed by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. It is also closely watched whether the LDP, Tomin First and Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, all of which support the governor, will maintain their combined majority.

(2025/06/22-17:39)

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