Yuriko Koike was born in Hyogo Prefecture on July 15, 1952. She graduated from Cairo University with a B.A. in Sociology in October 1976.She was elected to the House of Councillors in July 1992, the House of Representatives in July 1993, and was appointed to the position of Minister of the Environment in September 2003 before concurrently taking on the position of Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs in September 2004. In September 2006, she was named Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (National Security Affairs) and became Minister of Defense in July 2007. In September 2010, Ms. Koike became Chairperson of the LDP General Council and Director of the Budget Committee in October 2011. Ms. Koike was elected Governor of Tokyo in July 2016.