Mr. Yamamoto has repeatedly visited the Tokyo 15th Ward of the House of Representatives.
Nine people have filed to run for the Tokyo 15th Ward special election for the House of Representatives, which was announced on the 16th. There are no candidates endorsed or recommended by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party or New Komeito, and this marks the beginning of an unusual battle between opposition parties and opposition-affiliated independents competing for a single seat.
Kijitsumae Yamamoto, a comedian affiliated with Yoshimoto Kogyo, is an election enthusiast who has attended more than 500 elections across the country and introduces the highlights of the election campaign like a sports commentary on Youtube. We asked Mr. (31) what are the points of watching the huge battle that took place in Koto Ward. (Interviewer: Fumina Ebisuno)
◆“Yokozuna and ozeki are closed, and even those with lower rankings can win.”
-What do you think of the composition of this election campaign?
“In terms of sumo, both yokozuna and ozeki are closed, and even those with lower rankings can win if they get into it.In Koto Ward, the “three families” of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Kakizawa family, the Kimura family, and the Yamazaki family, had a solid foundation. It was sometimes referred to as “Koto Sangokushi.” But it’s different now. With the absolute champions like Asashoryu and Hakuho gone, it’s interesting because you don’t know who will win. It may also flow to candidates.”
Kakizawa family, Kimura family, Yamazaki familyhave been competing for positions such as members of the House of Representatives and ward mayor in Koto Ward.Kakizawa familyproduced former Foreign Minister Koji (deceased) and his eldest son, former member of the House of Representatives.Kimura familyAlso present were Tsutomu, a former member of the House of Representatives, and his eldest daughter, former Ward Mayor Yayoi. This by-election for Tokyo’s 15th ward will be held in response to the resignations of Michi Kakizawa (confirmed guilty) and Yayoi Kimura (under trial) as members of the 2023 ward mayor’s election due to election violations.Yamazaki familyThere are former ward mayor Takaaki and his eldest son, former Tokyo councilor Ikki.
-What kind of things are you paying attention to?
Mr. Yamamoto listens to the speeches of prospective candidates in Koto Ward on the 13th.
“The Joto Ward area (the east side of the former Edo Castle) is an area where conservatives are strong and the Constitutional Democratic Party, the main opposition party, is weak.Natsumi SakaiIf he wins, it will be a symbolic victory.”
“The RDP is increasing its criticism of the LDP’s scandals and is aggressively attacking it.There are times when the Communist Party (which receives support) is brought to the fore, and times when it is not, and they are also considering independents and LDP supporters who have not decided who to vote for. They may be trying not to give the impression that they are “cooperating with the opposition.”It seems like they are trying to capture the votes of voters who have voted for the Liberal Democratic Party but are dissatisfied with the slush funds issue.”
– Independent newcomerOtotake YokoWhile Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s special advisor is the regional party “Tomin First Association,” which is the parent group, and the Democratic Party of Japan have recommended him, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito Party have decided not to recommend him.
“Mr. Ototake has been criticized for women’s issues since the House of Councilors election two years ago.This is the scary thing about single-seat constituencies.When only one candidate wins an election, the negative aspects are always brought out. I’d like to see if Koike can win with his divine powers.It’s also interesting that Koike hasn’t come forward to criticize the scandals of the Liberal Democratic Party.I guess he values his relationship with the Liberal Democratic Party.
-Governor Koike holds the key.
“In the Hachioji mayoral election in January of this year, when it looked like the LDP and Komeito supporters were going to lose, Mr. Koike came in at the end and the situation seemed to turn around.To talk about maniacs, Meguro There is a ward mayor election (votes counted on the 21st), and it’s a close race for Koike (to support the candidate recommended by the Tokyo Citizen First Association), so if she loses there and Ototake also loses, it seems like Koike’s power has weakened. I think there will be a lot of coverage, and I think there will be a huge increase in the number of people who lost their jobs due to allegations of falsifying their academic background (regarding their graduation from Cairo University).If that happens, it will have an impact on things like the gubernatorial election (this summer). Maybe.”
-The Osaka-based Nippon Ishin no Kai is aiming to expand into Tokyo.
“I think this is a huge opportunity for the Restoration.There is a formula that people who don’t want to join the Liberal Democratic Party, but also don’t want to join the opposition parties (such as the Constitutional Democratic Party or the Communist Party), will flow toward the Restoration. Because I think so.”
“Newcomer’sYui KanazawaOsaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura (co-chairman of the party) also rushed to support him. For famous politicians like Koike and Yoshimura, the more people support them, the more likely they are to vote. However, the key point for Mr. Yoshimura seems to be whether he can ‘tune’ himself to suit the area in Tokyo, which he is not used to.”
-What is “tuning”?
“The Meiji Restoration’s “self-defeating reforms” may not have much of an impact in Toyosu, where tower apartments are lined up.There are voters who approve of earning more and more through performance fees.In his speech in Toyosu, Mr. Yoshimura mentioned Kameido gyoza several times. I mentioned that, but I wasn’t really into it.When I asked the locals, they said, “They don’t understand the pride of Toyosu (even though it’s in the same Koto Ward).You shouldn’t live in Kameido (in the downtown area). It seemed like it was popular, but it was smooth in Toyosu.”
“In the latter half of the election campaign, episodes that are appropriate for the region may come out. Candidates and comedians alike look at the audience’s reaction, cut out the boring parts, and add the popular parts. So I think it’s going to get more interesting towards the end.”
-What are the highlights of the battle between the other candidates?
“The Japanese Conservative PartyIishanyangand members of the political partyRina Yoshikawais paying attention to the fact that which party netizens will support in the future will change depending on who is at the top. I think it will definitely have an impact on future elections. The supporters that the participating parties have created online are similar to those of the Japanese Conservative Party, so I think they are trying to show off their aggressiveness by outperforming the Japanese Conservative Party. The Japanese Conservative Party is also a new party, so it will be important to see how many votes it can get in the beginning.”
“I watched both parties on the day of the announcement, and the participating parties changed their strategy from the past, with election staff scattered outside the areas where candidates were giving speeches and handing out leaflets.On the other hand, the Japanese Conservative Party’s staff It was impressive to see supporters of the government gathering on the streets to give speeches, and to see them fighting in the exact opposite way.”
Party of Do it Yourselfformed a party in 2020 and won one seat in the 2022 House of Councilors election. Founded in 2023Japanese Conservative PartyThe Tokyo 15th Ward by-election will be his first challenge in a national election. Both have gained support, mainly among internet users and the so-called “rock conservatives” who supported former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“Tsubasa’s Party’sRyosuke NemotoBasically, he goes into other candidates’ speech venues and speaks out, and broadcasts the speech in real time. The party that protects the people from NHKKatsuya FukunagaIt seems like he is trying to “show his face” to get the party’s name known. If you have your name written on a ballot paper even once, it will be easier to have your name written in the next election.”
-Candidates who do not have the support of political parties or political organizations.
Genki Sudo“It’s meaningful for me to win as a complete independent,” without receiving support from any political party, she tearfully said. It seems as though he is daring to fight alone, traveling around his constituency by bicycle. (IR = currently on trial in a corruption case related to the integrated resort facility business)Tsukasa AkimotoMaybe he’s running for election to prove his innocence.”
Candidates for the by-election in Tokyo’s 15th ward are listed in the order of notification.
・New lawyer from various factions “Party to protect the people from NHK”Katsuya FukunagaMr. (43)
・An independent newcomer and vice representative of the First Association.Ototake YokoMr. (48) = People’s Democratic Party, First Association Recommendation
・Nurses who are new members of the political partyRina YoshikawaMr. (36)
・Former Independent Minister of the EnvironmentTsukasa AkimotoMr. (52)
・Former Ezaki Glico employee who is new to the Japan Restoration SocietyYui KanazawaMr. (33) = Recommended by the Society for Achieving Free Education
・A newcomer to the Tsubasa no Toi faction who runs an IT company.Ryosuke NemotoMr. (29)
・A former Koto ward councilor who is a newcomer to the Constitutional Democratic Party and receives support from the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.Natsumi SakaiMr. (37)
・A new member of the Japanese Conservative Party and a visiting professor at Reitaku University.IishanyangMr. (48)
・Unaffiliated rookie former mixed martial artistGenki SudoMr. (46)
◆ Voter turnout tends to drop after scandals, but “I definitely want it to go up.”
-Will voter turnout increase?
“My feeling is that I absolutely want it to go up.However, voter turnout tends to drop in elections after scandals.Also, I’m tired of elections.The Koto Ward mayoral election was held in April last year, and the election was held in December. There will be another election in April to redo the election, and as elections continue, voter turnout tends to decline.The number of people who are organized by the LDP (with no recognized or recommended candidates) will likely decrease.
– How do you think voter turnout affects election results?
“If the turnout declines in the absence of candidates endorsed or recommended by the Liberal Democratic Party or Komeito, it may work in favor of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), since the Communist Party vote (which supports Mr. Sakai of the Liberal Democratic Party) is solid.On the other hand, First and the Ishin The third party is basically trying to attract independent voters, so I think they would like to see an increase in voter turnout.”
◆It’s as fun as watching sports: “Feel free to vote”
-Why do you like elections so much?
Mr. Yamamoto smiles as he is approached by a fan who says, “I love sports-like election commentary” in Koto Ward on the 13th.
“When I was in the second year of junior high school (2006), I saw a by-election for the 7th district of the House of Representatives in Chiba in my hometown and found it interesting.In by-elections (unlike elections that are held all over the country), famous politicians give speeches to support them. One of the attractions was coming. At the time, I was shocked to see Mr. Hamako (the late Koichi Hamada, who was nicknamed the “political brawler”) kneeling down in front of voters.”
“Since then, I have come to find elections interesting, and have attended more than 500 campaigns in the past 20 years. Elections are interesting because they are contested. This is understandable because sports are held within the visible range of the stadium. It’s easy, but I think that if you concentrate on how each candidate competes, you can watch the election like watching a sports match.”
– What do you feel after watching many elections?
“I feel like my life is not decided by one win or loss like an election.No matter how hard you try, you don’t get along with that one person and get no support at all.It’s like a daytime drama. There’s also a human nature. There’s no plot, so you don’t know what’s going to happen until the end. If the candidate always does good things, the locals will follow him no matter how bad the situation is. I feel like the more you know about the candidates, the more interesting the election becomes.”
– At the speech venue in Koto Ward, Yamamoto was approached by fans who were watching the video. A man of my generation said, “I watch the commentary and actually go to listen to the candidates’ speeches.”
“I’m happy. I sometimes do election stories in theater comedy shows, and hearing things like “I never went to elections before, but now I’m starting to go to elections” from the audience really motivates me. I feel like it’s meaningful to be doing this.I’m glad that I’m continuing to communicate various things.”
-How can we get more people to vote?
“Overseas, you can vote in the soccer team’s locker room. There are places where voting boxes are placed in airline flight simulators or on orchestra stages. Some people go to vote because they want to be there. There are a lot of facilities that were built for the Tokyo Olympics, so I think it would be good to take advantage of those places and make them places that are normally not accessible, like the “Yoi Don!” stand in the swimming pool at the Tokyo Olympics. I think it would be nice to have a ballot box at the top of the bouldering ring just for fun.
-Many people have a bad impression of politicians.
“People think politics is dirty, and politicians are often criticized.However, most politicians are serious about their intentions. I want people to be rewarded properly, so I use Manzai and YouTube to communicate about elections and politics.”
“I think all politicians want to improve Japan, improve the region, and help people.However, because we have different ways of thinking, we just end up in conflict, or our policies are useful, but because they are too detailed, no one is interested. It’s hard to convey the good news, so I’d be happy if people could get even a little bit interested in politics.”
“When you see people like me enjoying the election like crazy, I want them to think that they don’t have to think too much about it, and that it’s okay to just go (to the speeches and vote).This time in Tokyo. There are many people in the 15th Ward by-election who are good at public speaking, so please come and watch it.”
Before the Yamamoto date (Yamamoto/Kijitsumae)Born in January 1993 in Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture. He is in charge of the comedy duo “Yukaina Minoku” affiliated with Yoshimoto Kogyo. In 2019, the YouTube channel “Funny Minutes[Election/Politics ch]”, which distributes videos explaining elections in various parts of Japan. Her hobby is collecting election posters.