Former defence minister Yuriko Koike will become Tokyo's first female governor, final election results confirmed today.

In yesterday's election, Koike, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who was running without the party's endorsement, easily defeated former internal affairs minister Hiroya Masuda, who was backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's LDP and coalition partner Komeito.

Koike, a former TV anchorwoman who speaks fluent Arabic and English, received 2.91 million votes, while Masuda, who served as governor of Iwate prefecture, collected 1.79 million votes.

TV journalist Shuntaro Torigoe, endorsed by the main opposition Democratic Party and three other parties, received 1.35 million votes.

The Tokyo election was closely watched as the new governor is expected to play a crucial role in making the 2020 Olympics in the city a success.

Koike, a graduate of Cairo University who also served as environment minister, received broad support from unaffiliated voters and also drew away some LDP and Komeito supporters by criticising the male-dominated Tokyo branch of the LDP.

A record 21 candidates were running in the election to succeed Yoichi Masuzoe, a former health minister who resigned from the post in June after admitting he spent political funds for private purposes. He was also criticised for taking costly business trips abroad.

- dpa