Mavericks Yukio Aoshima and "Knock" Yokoyama rode a tidal wave of voter discontent with the status quo four years ago and won gubernatorial races in Tokyo and Osaka, pleasing the public and shocking lawmakers and assembly members of the Liberal Democratic Party and other non-Communist forces.
After walking a tightrope between voters and the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, Aoshima appears to have found his footing in an unexpected, and perhaps disappointing to some voters, quarter: working with bureaucrats.
Many are critical that Aoshima, a TV celebrity-turned-politician who had no administrative experience, has relied heavily on officials to run the metro government during his four-year term.