Tokyo governor re-elected

Tokyo governor re-elected

Mr Ishihara is known as an outspoken nationalist

The controversial Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, has been re-elected for a second term following local elections in Japan.

Mr Ishihara, a fervent nationalist who is widely seen as a possible future successor to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, won the Tokyo poll by a landslide.

Japan held local elections on Sunday for 11 governors, 44 prefectural assemblies, 12 city assemblies and a mayor.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its main rival, the Democratic Party of Japan, both increased their representation at the expense of small socialist and communist parties.

The LDP captured 1,309 seats, up 21 seats, of the 2,634 seats up for grabs at the prefectural assembly level, while the DPJ won 205, up 35, the government said.

It was the first time since 1991 that the LDP won more than half the seats in the assemblies, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

The results will not affect the balance of power held by Mr Koizumi's conservative administration.

But Japan's opposition parties had presented the vote as a test of the public's support for the prime minister's economic policies and his unpopular decision to back the US-led war on Iraq.

The most high profile of the elections was that of the Tokyo governorship.

Mr Ishihara, 70, who ran as an independent but was backed by the LDP, earned some 70% of the votes.

The veteran politician is well-known for his outspoken comments.

He has previously drawn criticism for saying the Nanking Massacre, in which hundreds of thousands of Chinese were slaughtered by Japanese troops in the 1930s, never happened.

He has also been criticised for supporting Japan's claim to sovereignty over disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as the Diaoyu in Chinese communities and Senkaku in Japan. The islands are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

Mr Ishihara also co-authored the 1989 bestseller, The Japan That Can Say No, which called for Japan to be more assertive towards the United States.

Independent power

Analysts said the other noteworthy outcome of the local polls was the dominance of politicians running as independents.

Prime Minister Koizumi appeared pleased with the elections results.

"The focus was how (public opinion against) the Iraqi war and the increased burden of medical costs might affect the election," he said.

"Looking at the results, the LDP fought rather well," Mr Koizumi added.