Tokyo Sees Unusual Election Candidates

The election for the next governor of Tokyo is here! This highly prestigious position places the responsibilities of the largest metropolis in the world on one individual’s shoulders. 

Therefore, candidates will use their experienced and impressive backgrounds to persuade the people of Tokyo, why voting for them would be the best choice, or so you would think. One unusual candidate, in particular, would be 37-year old Teruki Goto. This year will mark his second attempt to run for governor of Tokyo. He first ran back in 2016 and became known for his naked political posters and unique views. During his 2016 campaign run, he paid 3 million yen to give an official speech to the people that were unforgettable.

In a 5-minute-long rant, he used so much profanity, mainly referring to male and female genitalia, that over 10% of his speech was bleeped out. This time, Teruki is back, but his approach seems to have changed drastically. He now wears a cape in his political posters, cosplaying as zero from the anime Code Geass, and wishes to change the national slogan to “I love you.” On his website, he states that he aims to make Japan the strongest, kindest, and most interesting country globally. 

Governor candidates are not the only ones that stand out either. One candidate running for the Metropolitan Assembly, Kana Shindo, is using an interesting campaign strategy.

Her campaign posters feature her in a scantily clad bikini top, made from the two Abe masks distributed earlier this year in Japan. Her poster claims that her bikini top, aptly nicknamed Abe-bra, will be coming off if she were to be elected. The effectiveness of this strategy remains to be seen.