A day after leading Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First) to a landslide victory in the metropolitan assembly election, Gov. Yuriko Koike reaffirmed her commitment to reform but said she would resign as leader of the upstart party to focus on the job at hand.
"I would like to focus on my role as governor," she told reporters Monday at Tomin First's office in Shinjuku Ward.
In local politics, the governor and the assembly are elected separately as part of a system of checks and balances in which the assembly's role is to keep tabs on the governor, who traditionally runs as an independent. During this election, however, Koike broke with tradition by agreeing to serve as president of her fledgling party to solidify its identity and lure more voters. Critics said that would undermine the assembly's ability to keep Koike in check.