Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's re-election earlier this month came as no surprise to those in the Kansai region, where she had been predicted to defeat what was clearly a divided opposition.

Given her popularity and past career in national politics, many pundits are speculating over whether the victory means she will return to the Diet in the next general election — this time with a popular mandate, or at least one popular with certain segments of voters in the capital.

In Osaka, Koike’s victory was seen as affirmation that strong local leadership during a public crisis trumps all other concerns voters might have about their leaders.