AKIPRESS.COM - Tokyo elected its first female governor Sunday, picking former environment minister Yuriko Koike over a government-backed rival as the city struggles to put its preparations for the 2020 Olympics back on track, Bloomberg reported.

Koike, 64, is a former television journalist fluent in English and Arabic. She’s known for breaking the glass ceiling several times over, being the first woman to serve as defense minister -- albeit briefly -- and to contest the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. She frequently publishes essays on international issues, including one referring to Donald Trump’s election campaign as "loutish."

In Sunday’s gubernatorial election, she beat 20 candidates including Hiroya Masuda, a former regional governor backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Shuntaro Torigoe, a journalist. She made extensive use of social media, on which she encouraged supporters to wear her signature green.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday it was "extremely regrettable" that the LDP’s candidate had been defeated, but added that the national government must work with the Tokyo assembly for the good of the people.

Koike faces multiple challenges in managing a city with a population of more than 13 million and a budget the size of Sweden’s. After a series of scandals and soaring budget costs that led to the design for the flagship stadium being scrapped, she must restore faith in Tokyo’s plans for the hosting of the Olympics.