Abstract: This paper discusses the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election in the context of past contests. It shows how this election manifested the trends since the 1990s: an increasing distrust of the existing political parties, including those created in that decade and the growing support for independent candidates. Such candidates follow their own line of thinking, free from party ties, and appeal to voters in ways that resonate with public skepticism toward party politics. The analysis highlights both continuity and change in Tokyo elections and underscores broader patterns in Japanese political development.
Keywords: Tokyo Gubernatorial Election, Tokyo Metropolitan Governor, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Postwar Japanese Politics, Japan’s Party Politics
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