Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara on Friday formally declared that he will run in the April 13 Tokyo gubernatorial election, seeking a second four-year term.
The announcement was made during a session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, ending months of speculation.
Many political observers had speculated that the 70-year-old politician, who has also served as a Diet lawmaker, was planning a dramatic return to national politics, although Ishihara denied these rumors.