Naoki Inose, a prizewinning writer turned Tokyo's deputy chief, won by a landslide in Sunday's gubernatorial election, garnering more than 4 million votes, the most ballots an individual has ever won, final returns showed Monday.
Inose, 66, who was named by predecessor Shintaro Ishihara, 80, as his favored candidate when Ishihara abruptly stepped down in October to run for a Diet seat, beat eight contenders in the election, which coincided with the House of Representatives race.
Inose said at his campaign office that he is determined to continue his predecessor's bid to hold the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. "The Olympics are integral to reconstruction from the (March 2011) disaster," he said. "I hope to have torchbearers run in the damaged areas so people will be aware that we are always thinking about reconstruction."