tokyo japan yuriko koike say go politics player bystander tokyo first female governor shake things new party hope challenge prime minister shinzo abe rule bloc oct. 22 poll call japanese leader seek fresh mandate nearly five years office berlin wall divide east west germany breach 1989 koike 37-year-old tv announcer three years late run parliament world change immensely go news presenter newsmaker decide japanese politics move slowly rather outside critic become ... player inside koike tell reuters interview koike defy abe party last year run governor seek seat parliament low house drive force public face upstart party many ways koike paradox interview people know review career show global thinker nationalist tinge entrepreneurial outsider climb ladder help old-boy mentor risk taker balk perhaps big gamble decline run national election koike make secret ambition japan first woman prime minister pet female terrier nickname so-chan diminutive sori premier japanese already crack glass ceilings become country first female defense minister 2007 although step 55 days tussle top bureaucrat also first woman run rule liberal democratic party top leadership post 2008 come distant third koike come business family western japan background set apart many japanese politicians include abe scions blue-blood political dynasties origins may account style admirers say common venture capitalists staid lawmakers afraid take initiatives japan deeply frown upon say person know 25 years advise financial reform japan subtlety within riddle blunt koike talent political market critics call populism skill use try differentiate conservative party abe equally conservative ldp promise break fetter vest interest politics call party economic policies yurinomics contrast abe abenomics platform include 12 zero want achieve include zero hayfever zero euthanasia unwanted pet graduate cairo university 1976 speak arabic english koike ways global perspective often sing praise diversity like abe advocate open japan highly skilled foreign workers also like abe visit yasukuni shrine war dead see china south korea symbol japan past militarism tell reuters would become premier koike also espouse cause dear japan rightwing include revise post-war pacifist constitution past even suggest japan consider acquire nuclear weapons break taboo country suffer nuclear attack also oppose local vote right foreign residents many korean descent dark side jibe open-minded dare say liberal view say long-time acquaintance koike migrate several party join ldp 2002 abandon become governor count among mentor ichiro ozawa one-time ldp heavyweight help engineer long-ruling party ouster 1993 2009 well popular ex-premier junichiro koizumi critics say career reflect opportunist streak ally call practical want make change also pragmatic make deal anyone communists abe traditional stakeholders say another adviser kind talent despite speculation would abandon job governor return parliament koike stick decision run analysts say likely party little chance defeat abe rule bloc may well enough take leap next poll know koike say desire nation top post remain machiavellian strategic answer yes prepare think long run answer yes say long-time acquaintance over-riding ambition japan first female prime minister definitely goal japan 's koike political paradox shake things ahead poll