Candidates running in the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election have been making the rounds of the capital since the campaign started Jan. 23, trying to reach out to as many voters as possible.

Media reports show that former health minister Yoichi Masuzoe is in the lead, followed by former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and Kenji Utsunomiya, an ex-president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, although a Kyodo News poll on Jan. 24 said 43 percent of the voters were undecided.

On Friday evening, Masuzoe appeared near JR Ueno Station in Taito Ward and pledged to voters that he will ensure the capital holds a successful 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.