politics

Campaigning begins for Tokyo gubernatorial election

8 Comments

Official campaigning for the Dec 16 Tokyo gubernatorial election got under way in the capital on Thursday with nine candidates vying to succeed Shintaro Ishihara who stood down last month to enter national politics.

The gubernatorial election has been pushed out of the headlines since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house and called a lower house election for the same day as the Tokyo election.

The nine candidates are current Tokyo Vice Gov Naoki Inose, 66, whom Ishihara has endorsed, former Kanagawa Gov Shigefumi Matsuzawa, 54, Kenji Utsunomiya, 66, who headed the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, eccentric inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu, 84, retired LDP lawmaker Takashi Sasagawa, 77, businessman Mac Akasaka, 64, singer Tokuma, 46, ex-diplomat Shigenobu Yoshida, 76, and former business executive Masaichi Igarashi, 81.

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8 Comments
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i know,

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If I had the vote, I'd be seriously looking at Kenji Utsunomiya, of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Dr. Nakamatsu is the only one of the bunch I've heard of and he's the perpetual also-ran, nutter clutter. A single-named singer? We don't need more celebrities with more ego than sense, thanks. Businessmen - seem to have trouble adapting to a democracy after dictating things at their own business. (Not sure if Mac ran his own company. Would need to check that.)

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Oh man, don't wanna go anywhere close to ALTA when all the candidates go there at the same time with their LOUD speakers.

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I wonder if some people will mix this up with the AKB48 'election'

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I mean mix it up with a AKB48 election due to all those posters that they are on promoting it..

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Christ, look at the age if some if them. Hasn't Tokyo been run by an old git for long enough? I honestly think this is the issue in Japan. The country is run by old men who haven't a clue that the world has changed, the bubble broke and Japan is seriously in trouble. Get some women and some who doesn't need depends to get him through the day.

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businessman Mac Akasaka, 64

Just saw this dude on NHK wearing a superman costume and yellow headband! (in between the suits talking blah blah.) Representing the Smile Party, Akasaka attributes many of Tokyo's problems to a lack of smiles, and pledges to issue a fine of 30,000 yen to anyone walking the streets of Tokyo with a furrowed brow.

The Smile Party also plans to cut the income and number of Tokyo public servants by half, the governor would not be paid, they are against nuclear power and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid, and would privatise the ShinTokyo bank.

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