Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee CEO Toshiro Muto called on Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to "put her energy into making a success" of the Games as she "prepares to contest a bitter general election" against PM Shinzo Abe, according to Wells & Harding of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Muto said, "From my perspective, what I can say is, I'd like her to devote all of her efforts to making a success of the Tokyo Olympics. I'm hoping she will do so." His comments "highlight the risks" to Koike, if she is seen as "neglecting her day job by plunging into national politics," and to Tokyo 2020, with the city's governor confronting the nation's prime minister in a general election. So far, the Olympics have not become an election issue but "tension between the prime minister and the Tokyo governor could hamper preparations" for the Games. Koike is leading the new Party of Hope, which, in the space of a week, has "transformed Japanese politics," but she has not yet said whether she will stand down as governor and run for parliament. Muto said that Tokyo was "making very good progress to the 2020 Olympics" with construction "proceeding apace." In contrast to some other host cities, Tokyo's preparations recently "drew praise" from the IOC (FT, 10/1).
