text:  The governor of Tokyo is among the most powerful positions in Japan, controlling a budget of more than $100 billion. Over the past eight years, Yuriko Koike has used it to become the country's most recognizable female politician in a scene still dominated by men. Often described as a populist, she steered the metropolis through COVID and the Olympics, and during this campaign touted her policies on supporting young families as Japan tries to stem its demographic decline. Commentators have long suspected she's harbored prime ministerial ambitions.