With Governor Koike's term ending, the official campaign announcement is set for June 20, and the voting will take place on July 7.
On May 28, former Chief of Staff of the Air Self-Defense Force, Toshio Tamogami, declared his intention to run as an independent on social media, stating, 'It seems the Liberal Democratic Party cannot field a conservative candidate, so I will run for the gubernatorial election as an independent.'
In the afternoon, celebrity Kuniharu Shimizu also announced his candidacy, saying, 'I decided to run with the policy focus on protecting the lives and livelihoods of Tokyo residents from a direct-hit earthquake.'
Meanwhile, the regional party "Tomin First no Kai," the Komeito party in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, and mayors and ward chiefs from 52 municipalities within Tokyo have urged Governor Koike to run for re-election. Koike is adjusting her schedule to make an official announcement at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on May 29.
Additionally, more than 20 other candidates, including Renho of the Constitutional Democratic Party and Shinji Ishimaru, the mayor of Akita Takada City in Hiroshima Prefecture, have announced their intention to run in the Tokyo gubernatorial election.