Yuriko Koike. Yuriko Koike (?????? ?????????, Koike Yuriko; born 15 July 1952) is a Japanese politician, who has served as the Governor of Tokyo since 2016. Previously, she was also served as a member of the House of Councillors from 1992 to 1993, a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2016, Minister of the Environment under from 2003 to 2006, and Minister of Defense in between July and August 2007. Born and raised in Ashiya, a wealthy, small, and popular city near Kobe in Hy??go Prefecture, Koike graduated from Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt in 1976, and served as a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from 1993 until 2016, when she resigned to run for Governor of Tokyo. Previously, she also served as the Minister of the Environment under Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet from 2003 to 2006 and briefly as Minister of Defense under the first cabinet of Shinzo Abe in between July and August 2007. Koike was elected Governor of Tokyo in 2016...