Tokyo's gubernatorial election has taken a bizarre turn, with over 14,000 election billboards featuring nearly naked women, pets, an AI character, and a candidate practicing his golf swing. While some voters find these tactics amusing, others are outraged and concerned about the lack of focus on serious campaigning.
Tokyo's gubernatorial election, scheduled for this weekend, has become a spectacle of outlandish publicity stunts that have far outstripped traditional campaigning. More than 14,000 election billboards, which are only erected during election season, have been plastered with a bizarre array of visuals, including nearly naked women, pet dogs, and an artificial intelligence character.
Tokyo Election Shenanigans: Outlandish Publicity Stunts Overshadow Serious Campaigning
This unprecedented level of wackiness has sparked outrage among some voters, who find the tactics distasteful and disrespectful to the candidates who are seriously competing. Office worker Mayumi Noda expressed her embarrassment and concern, saying, "As a Japanese citizen, I feel embarrassed, as I see many foreign visitors pass by those billboards and they must wonder what's going on. As a voter, I think it's outrageous and disrespectful to the other candidates who are seriously competing."
The record number of candidates running in the election, 56, has contributed to the proliferation of these unusual campaign tactics. Many of these candidates are fringe figures or influencers seeking even more exposure. Tokyo's outsized political and cultural power in Japan has also made this election a highly visible affair, attracting attention from a wide range of people.
Tokyo Election Shenanigans: Outlandish Publicity Stunts Overshadow Serious Campaigning
The use of election billboards in Japan is a long-standing tradition, providing valuable exposure for candidates in a city saturated with advertising. However, this year's campaign has taken a decidedly offbeat turn, with non-candidates renting out billboard space to display provocative and attention-grabbing images.
Campaign video clips have also joined the fray of outlandish tactics. One video features female candidate Airi Uchino saying, "I'm so cute; please watch my campaign broadcast," and repeating her name in a high-pitched, anime-style voice while asking voters to be friends on social media. She then proceeds to strip down to a beige-colored tube top.
Under a 1950 public office election law, candidates in Japan are free to say anything as long as they do not support another candidate or carry obviously false or libelous content. This has allowed for the escalation of wacky and provocative campaign tactics, creating a circus-like atmosphere around the election.
This year's election tactics have been partly orchestrated by an emerging conservative political party that has fielded 24 candidates for governor. The party has rented out half of the slots on each election billboard to anyone who pays, including non-candidates, as a way to gain media attention.
Political analyst Ryosuke Nishida believes that these outlandish performances are a reflection of public dissatisfaction with existing politicians and parties. "The reason why some people find these performances amusing is because they think their objections are not taken into consideration by politicians and existing parties or reflected in their politics," he said.
Despite the amusement some may find in these tactics, many voters remain concerned about the lack of focus on serious campaign issues. Plumber Kunihiko Imada expressed his disapproval, saying, "I don't decide who to vote for by looking at the faces on their posters. But I still think these billboards are being misused."
As Tokyo prepares to elect a new governor this weekend, the outlandish publicity stunts have overshadowed the thoughtful discussion and analysis of campaign policies. Whether this unconventional approach will translate into votes remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly created a highly entertaining and memorable election season.
