100 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN ASIA 2025 - YURIKO KOIKE

TOKYO'S THREE-TERM GOVERNOR AND REFORM-MINDED POWER BROKER

- KATHY MATSUI

When Yuriko Koike became governor of Tokyo in 2016, she wasted no time pushing for efficiency. One of her first reforms was eliminating the use of "chops," or seals, on official documents, an archaic practice that no one had been able to change. People who work for Koike call her a breath of fresh air.