Tokyo (Japan)elects Yuriko Koike as first female governor Sunday July 31,2016

Former Defence Minister Yuriko Koike has been elected governor of Tokyo, the first woman to lead Japan's capital.

Ms Koike, running as an independent candidate, received more than 2.9 million votes in Sunday's election, beating her opponents by a wide margin.

One of her key challenges will be curbing the financial problems plaguing Tokyo's preparations to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

Both her predecessors resigned over funding scandals .Sunday July 31,2016's election was called after previous governor Yoichi Masuzoe resigned last month following fierce criticism over allegations that he used official funds to pay for holidays, art and comic books for his children.

"I will lead Tokyo politics in an unprecedented manner, a Tokyo you have never seen," Ms Koike, 64, told cheering supporters

Ms Koike is a member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), but it did not endorse her so she ran as an independent.

In all, 21 contenders were vying to lead the sprawling capital and a number of other cities in the prefecture.

Ms Koike, politician Hiroya Masuda and journalist Shuntaro Torigoe were the front-runners.

 Mr Masuda obtained nearly 1.8 million votes while Mr Torigoe received 1.3 million, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Election Administration Commission.