The official campaign period for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election has kicked off. Candidates have entered the race for the July 4 election amid the continued spread of coronavirus infections and with the Tokyo Olympics less than one month away. The stance of each political party over Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's management of the metropolitan government, especially her handling of the COVID-19 situation and the Olympics, will be judged in this election.

       The parties' positions regarding the Tokyo Olympics differ sharply. Gov. Koike, keeping in step with the central government, is preparing for the games with spectators. Meanwhile, the assembly's ruling party Tomin First no Kai, or the Tokyoites first party, demands at least a spectator-free games if they are to go ahead.

       In the last Tokyo assembly election four years ago, Koike was the driving force behind Tomin First's surge as the party chief. She still serves as a special advisor to the party. As the governor and the party have worked together in managing the metropolitan government, they are both responsible for providing in-depth explanation about the differences in their positions.

       The Tokyo assembly's Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, the parties that control the central government, support the games going ahead this summer. Nippon Ishin no Kai (the Japan Innovation Party) has said it will judge whether the games should be held based on the state of infections. The Japanese Communist Party and Tokyo Seikatsusha Network are pushing for the games' cancellation, while the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan argues that unless concerns over the spread of infections are dispelled, the games should be either postponed or canceled.

       Regarding COVID-19 countermeasures, expansion of the medical care system and acceleration of the vaccine rollout are the primary challenges. Each political party needs to show how it plans to protect the health of people in Tokyo with concrete ideas.

       Financial aid for those struggling as a result of job loss or decreased income amid the pandemic has been insufficient, and cooperation payments for eateries complying with the metropolitan government's request to temporarily shut down or shorten business hours have been delayed. Swift responses to these issues are necessary.

       Tax revenue for the metropolitan government for fiscal 2020 is expected to drop from the previous year -- a first since fiscal 2011 -- due to factors such as poor business performance. A blueprint for how to reconstruct Tokyo's finances also needs to be presented.

       The total number of coronavirus infections in the capital has exceeded 170,000, accounting for 20% of the nationwide figure, and the assembly election will be held while Tokyo remains under COVID-19 quasi-emergency measures.

       Thorough preventive measures must be in place when candidates appeal to voters on streets or at a gathering. There should be creative ways to speak to voters including the use of online meetings.

       A special measures law to allow COVID-19 patients recovering at home or designated hotels to vote by mail was passed during the latest Diet session, and it will be applied to the assembly election for the first time.

       Tokyo assembly elections have been known to indicate how national elections turn out. While the structure is different this time as Tomin First doesn't have seats in the Diet, the major points of contention are similar to those in the next House of Representatives race. We expect lively debates among political parties during the assembly election campaign.

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