Yukie Nakama encourages people to vote in Dec 14 election

Why not have AKB 48 do a handshake event outside of polling stations? I'll bet they'll get the folks to turn out to vote too!

Is it just me or does this woman's smugness irritate the life out of me?

Yes, please vote. Please vote for "None of the Above" or any tiny minority party.

On Monday, Nakama appeared at an event in Tokyo to point out that people can vote early if they are busy on Dec 14. She demonstrated how to cast a ballot and also said she herself had voted early due to her work schedule.

She knows why some people don;t vote.

This is extremely important. I wish more popular culture icons in Japan would encourage people to vote. I think this would seriously influence younger voters to take a look at politics and how important it is for their and their families' futures.

@John: make your own placard and do like she did.

Agree. AKB should be doing this. But still, does make me wish i had the vote here. with such a great choice I really feel the need to make my voice heard.

Perhaps a tie-up with Line could work. Maybe giving away kawaii stamps could encourage the younger generation to think 'seriously' about politics.

Ms. Bland promotes a bland, faux election.

Not sure if she's bland or smug as I don't watch J-TV or films that hire amateurs (i.e. most J-films), but the ubiquity of these "talents" is what galls me. When you see a young lovely model in an ad the first time you go hmmm, but literally the 10,000th time. Saddened to find myself having the same reaction to Ayase Haruka now when a couple of years ago it was pure drool. Way too overexposed and thus boring.

Yukie Nakama encourages people to vote in Dec 14 election

Why doesn't Japan just make voting compulsory? It would cure their rampant apathy overnight, and sweep away all the old dead wood (ojisans) from power

How about allowing Permanent Residents to vote?

despite the taxes that we pay and the contributions we make to the Japanese society.

Yep, pay us resident's tax, but don't dream of being allowed to vote or be entitled to unemployment benefits

don't dream of being allowed to vote or be entitled to unemployment benefits

If you've paid insurance while you're working, you're as entitled to employment benefit as any Japanese who has paid.

Lots of ordinary folk think we do have voting rights. A friend was nonplussed when I mentioned that I didn't. As she pointed out, I pay way more tax than she (a sengyoshufu) has ever paid.

If you've paid insurance while you're working, you're as entitled to employment benefit as any Japanese who has paid.

That would be nice in theory. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/19/national/social-issues/welfare-ruling-stuns-foreigners/#.VIfV2snpzIs Reality is somewhat different. Re.Nakama: it's typical of Japan to use a celebrity to get something done

Christopher Glen - That article is about welfare - wot you get for being poor and destitute - which is means-tested. That's not the same as unemployment benefit, which is what you get when you are out of work regardless of how much money you have in the bank or what assets you have, if you have paid the premiums while working. Even if you're Japanese, if you haven't paid the premiums, you aren't entitled to the unemployment benefit. And even if you have paid and are entitled, you get it for a maximum of (I think) six months.

The best way to convince the younger generation to vote is to tell them to consider this;

Imagine going into a store and seeing all the products being sold targeting people age 60 and older. There is nothing for the 50 year old people and all the way down to the 20 year old people.

The store targets these senior citizens because they are the one’s who “spend” their money, and they are the one’s who support and keep the business running.

Only problem is that the 60 year old and over group are paying for the goods and services with borrowed money that they will never be able to pay back.

So it falls on the 20 year old group to repay the debts that the 60 and over group made.

Tell the 20 year old group that if they want to have goods and services in this store they have to get out there in force to have their voices heard…..or suck it up and live with it because they have nothing to blame but themselves when it comes to how things are done.

“The people have the starring role in this election."

Really? I thought Abe had the starring role...

Japan often copy USA system. Permanent Citizens: When USA allows to make Green Card holders to be able to vote, Japan may copy. How much you pay tax does not matter, f how much people paid tax become a guideline for voting right, many Chinese business men, American business men, etc will be able to vote than gaijin workers in Japan.

Japan often copy USA system. Permanent Citizens: When USA allows to make Green Card holders to be able to vote, Japan may copy

If Japan would copy the idea of dual nationality, we wouldn't need to worry about PRs being able to vote.

To qualifies to take US Citizenship test, you have to have green cars. Legal immigants can jave green cards. Persons who married to American citizens can take citizenship test after 3 years stay, Other people who obtained green cards can take citizenship test after 5 years stay. You have to renounce your native country citizenship. There are Naturalborn US Citizens, Naturalized US Citizens, abd legal immigrants. Beside them a whole bunch of illegal immiggrants in USA. Illegal immigrrants who came USA when they were childrne and others are topics of USA, especially Texas now. ///////////////green card holders are legal residents, When one did not denounce Japanese nationality, bunch of red tapes bak and force to visit Japanese council and then very simple and easy US citizenship test again in order to become US citizenship. I don;t know how they do if they live somewhere there is no Japanese Embassy or Cuncil. I am writing about Japanese who googed in California as SF and LA Japanese can get help. Maybe there is dual citizen if you are not Japanese?

The expression "bread and circuses" always seem perfectly well fitted for Japan. Rulers here have duped their underlings for so many years with entertainment and shopping options that the populace no longer seem to have any free will. On the surface this might seem like success but it's scary stuff. Compare this to many European countries, where most everything is closed on Sundays. There is not so much else to do but to vote...

We all know that on Japanese Sundays, Sato-san packs the family in the minivan and drives to the local shopping mall to get more useless stuff. I can't imagine many people turning out to this election.

It's OK, I guess, these people get the leaders they deserve.

jpn_guy, if the reason you were out of work was your own doing (eg., you resigned your previous job or were fired) then you are not entitled to any payment for the first three months of your unemployment. The self-employed are not covered by the unemployment benefit system, so that would also muddy your waters; if you're not job-seeking in the conventional way, you're not going to be eligible.

I know of a few Japanese who have been refused unemployment benefit in similar circumstances, so I don't think your troubles were necessarily caused by you being NJWU (non-Japanese while unemployed).

toshiko -

Maybe there is dual citizen if you are not Japanese?

It's Japan that does not allow dual nationality. That's what I said at the start. If Japan would allow dual nationality, the problem of PRs and voting would go away - we would be able to vote as Japanese citizens.

Yukie is encouraging Japanese voters to vote. I often forget some people are not aware of early voting or how to vote. After I read her message, I see why there are many unused votes. Do anyone know why none politicians are smarter about voting method than professional politicians???

This election is very very important. This Yukie Nakama's poster is good. She is very beautiful. And, I'm the same town to her.

People who learned how to vote will vote from now on. I'd bet.

Just don't vote for Abe unless you want higher prices,your money wasted,low spend on education etc More conflict with China is also a given......!

Yukie is encouraging Japanese voters to vote

In theory it should be compulsory. That in turn would ensure better people get into power. Better never means perfect of course. Japan's answer, get a posterboy / girl endorsement

@Christopher: Compulsory or not, people who don't know how to vote have to learn how to vote.

So you're saying Japanese people don't know how to vote, or have to be told how to vote?

I know a lot of Japanese in their 30's who never voted and know zilch about the parties. Issues, etc involved.

Sad but true but lot of youngsters globally don't see their vote as being important.