In one of the most unexpected developments to come out of the recent elections in Japan, Ken Akamatsu was voted in as a member of the House of Councilors (the upper house of the Japanese Diet), under the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. For the Love Hina and UQ Holder! creator, whose advocacy for freedom of expression has been documented here on the J-List Blog, this marks not only the culmination of an ambitious bid to enter politics, but also the first time in modern history that a mangaka has won a seat in government.
As posted by Akamatsu himself on Twitter:
２０時すぐ、参議院議員普通選挙にて報道各社から当選確実が出ました。
この当確は、漫画家初の国会議員の誕生を意味します。日本が変わる！と思います。
私に期待して投票してくれた有権者を裏切ることのないよう、また「全国民の代表」に恥じぬよう、しっかりと公約の実現に取り組んでまいります。— 赤松 健 ⋈（参議院議員・全国比例） (@KenAkamatsu) July 10, 2022
Shortly after 8:00 p.m., the press announced that the winner of the ordinary election for the House of Councillors had been confirmed.
This means the birth of the first manga artist to become a member of the Diet. Japan will change! I think.
I will work hard to fulfill my promises so that I will not betray the voters who have placed their hopes in me and voted for me, and so that I will not be ashamed of being a “representative of all the people.”
On the surface, it’s not entirely unprecedented. After all, there are already a number of otaku politicians in the Diet with varying degrees of investment in anime and manga, notably frequent collaborators Taro Yamada and Kenzo Fujisue. It’s not everyday, however, that you hear of a veteran artist with close ties within the industry being elected through an open nationwide list, meaning that he was voted in by people across the country. For those across the Pacific, it’s almost akin to a comic book writer getting into Congress. Something that seemed unlikely to happen, yet it has.
So how did he do it? Apart from fervent rallying in person, this could be attributed to his platform. Through his campaigning, he has consistently pushed for protecting freedom of expression in Japan against “external pressure” (whether from UN bodies or domestic activists), pushing for copyright reform, and greater support to the industry, which includes better conditions and protections for creators. On top of these being rather restrained compared to the usual promises made by other politicians, these have been recurring issues raised by a growing number of fans and mangaka alike over the years. Evidently, those concerns have grown big enough that his efforts paid off.
His 5 biggest points for people who want to know.
Him being pro-immigration is also kind of neat? pic.twitter.com/ajc4YgiLJp
— South Pole One (@DarkWorld97) July 10, 2022
It has no doubt been a long journey for Akamatsu. As early as 2011, he criticized proposals in Japan’s Copyright Law that would have crippled not only doujinshi but the manga industry at large. Neither was it all that long ago that he set up shop in Akihabara to make his case both for entering the halls of power, and for why otakudom is worth protecting. Whether or not he’s able to put his words into action while in office, what he recently achieved can’t be understated. It simultaneously reflects the significance of anime and manga as cultural assets, the growing clout of the industry and otaku political players in their own right, and the growing value placed by the Japanese on free speech and freedom of expression.
Whether or not you agree with all of his views, this certainly won’t be the last time Akamatsu makes headlines. The best of luck to him! Still, what are your thoughts on this unexpected, yet pleasant news?
