While municipal elections in Japan don¡¯t often get covered by overseas media, this year¡¯s mayoral contest in Tokyo¡¯s Suginami Ward was something different.
In a stunning upset, the city¡¯s two-term mayor, Ryo Tanaka, was defeated by dark-horse candidate Satoko Kishimoto, 48.
As a woman contesting Japan¡¯s male-dominated system, and with no party support or experience in public office, Kishimoto had little chance of winning. Nevertheless, she carried the race with a margin of just 187 votes.
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