Shintaro Ishihara
Saburō Kawabuchi, former head coach of the Japan national football team, was reported in December 2013 to be a compromise candidate between Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and former Governor Shintaro Ishihara, with his athletic background being viewed as an advantage in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics. Abe and Ishihara eventually endorsed Masuzoe and Tamogami respectively.