Internet-powered U.S. elections strike sharp difference from Japan

By Miwa Murphy

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10 Comments

hereandthere at 08:28 AM JST - 29th October

even if all things were equal between the US and Japan, Japan still has to overcome voter apathy, most Japanese realize they are so far separated from those they elect, that they really just don't care.
soldave at 08:45 AM JST - 29th October

"Instead of using the Internet just get the messages out, or to just get money, candidates get people to encourage others to vote, or get them to talk to their friends, or ask what kind of issues they’re interested in."

Well, Japanese politicians don't seem overly bothered about what their voters think, so that point's null and void to start with!
fatloser at 06:55 AM JST - 30th October

Yet another silly comparison about Japanese and Americans!! I guess this is news to those people who are so vocal on channel two. Don't forget that Japanese aren't nationalistic because they don't put flags on their house and American are because they do. Some groups of Japanese are very vocal about politics and others aren't. It's the same in America and every other country on the planet. But Japanese are shy and spoecial and ever so ver very gentle, so they'd never say their opinion about anything.......(vomit-vomit)
gogogo at 12:57 PM JST - 30th October

Anything to stop the loud speaker trucks, please no more loud speaker trucks! I can't even vote and they drive me crazy!
Scrote at 01:12 PM JST - 30th October

I don't know how they square the rules about campaiging on the internet with the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.

If I were to set up a web site in support of Aso, would he then be disqualified from the election? The rules seem quite unworkable.
European1 at 04:13 PM JST - 30th October

Japan is little China or N.K. where democracy is not real.
empossible at 06:42 PM JST - 30th October

I'm with gogogo. Those damn politicians with their stupid speaker trucks and those old men shouting outside the station. Do they realize that they're doing it when normal people just want to sleep? Rrrr, makes me so mad. One day I am gonna bust out the rotten eggs and let them fly. Would much rather be able to find out about candidate and other people's opinions of them via the Internet. Quite and I can do it on my own time.
gonemad at 07:03 PM JST - 30th October

but its election law bars candidates from using the Internet for election campaign because images on the Internet are construed in the same way as leaflets and posters that are subject to strict regulations by the law.

Seems this law was exactly made to fend off new entrants into the political arena?

Can anybody point to where to find the exact wording of that law?
bjones at 07:29 PM JST - 30th October

Have you ever seen anyone stop to listen to the people like outside the train stations with the megaphones and the banners? The loudspeaker vans would not last long in the States. It's low-tech and irritating.
realist at 01:22 AM JST - 7th November

Japan is in the Dark Ages, politically. Just look at the dinosaurs they elect.