I was not surprised at all by Shintaro Ishihara's overwhelming victory in the April 11 Tokyo gubernatorial election. Several journalist friends of mine and I had correctly predicted the election results, including the order of all the major candidates by the number of votes. More than anything else, Ishihara's charisma attracted voters, who were hoping that he would bring dynamic changes to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The victory by the former Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker came amid widespread public anxiety over the future, increasing calls for strong political leadership, and rampant voter distrust of established political parties in national and local politics.
It is uncertain if Ishihara will meet voters' expectations of drastic reforms. He appears to be confused about his roles in national and local politics. A former state minister, Ishihara has no experience in local government affairs. No matter what he does to drum up support for his reform plans, Ishihara is likely to face serious difficulties in tackling the mountains of problems facing the metropolitan administration.
He obviously made many of his election promises on the spur of the moment or out of an obsession with some pet projects. But his resolve to change Tokyo as the first step to reforming the nation struck the right chord in the voters' hearts.