Koike secured a landslide victory in 2016, with one of her first tasks in office to receive the Olympic flag at the Closing Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

She has been one of the key individuals in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Koike suggested possible venue changes after taking office as organisers sought to reduce the budget of the Games.

The Tokyo Governor also publicly criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year for their "unprecedented" decision to move marathon and race walk events to Sapporo without consultation.

Organisers are now facing a greater challenge following the unprecedented postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021, following the coronavirus pandemic.

The rescheduled Games and the revival of Tokyo’s economy due to the impact of the pandemic are expected to be the key early challenges for the successful candidate in next month’s election.

"It was about four years ago, in 2016, that I stood here and announced my bid for Governor," Koike said, according to the Japan Times.

"I carry the same feelings now as I did that day, the urge to be part of the city’s progress toward a better future for the capital’s residents."

Koike has vowed to boost the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s transparency, spending habits, childcare policy and efforts to support women in politics if re-elected.

Koike is considered as the clear favourite for the election, with her popularity boosted by Tokyo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 5,473 cases have been confirmed in the Japanese capital since the start of the outbreak, with 313 deaths reported.

Tokyo has entered the third phase of its plans to reopen the capital’s economy.

Koike is a member of Tomin First, a centre-right to right wing political party known for its focus on regional politics in the Tokyo area.

She has been a member since 2017 after leaving the Liberal Democratic Party and also started a national version of Tomin First called Kibō no Tō in the same year.

The Liberal Democratic Party is reportedly opting against fielder a challenger to Koike.

According to Kyodo, her biggest challengers are Kenji Utsunomiya, the former head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, and Taisuke Ono, the recent vice-governor of Kumamoto prefecture.

Koike told Agence France-Presse she will make a "120 per cent effort" to ensure the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will go ahead next year.

She said Tokyo would make "all-out efforts in the battle against the virus to put on a Games that is full of hope", adding that organisers were working towards an event which is "safe and secure for athletes and fans from abroad as well as for residents of Tokyo and Japan."