Japan currently stands at the brink, staring down at an abyss so hellish I can scarcely contemplate it. I’m talking, of course, about the upcoming election in which the various political parties here will woo voters non-stop for two weeks in an attempt to win enough votes to form a governing majority. Naturally, elections are different in Japan than they are in the U.S. Most obvious to visitors from other countries are the loudspeaker cars that drive around your neighborhood shouting the name of their candidate and thanking you for your support. This annoyance aside, there are some interesting limitations placed on how politicians can advertise themselves to voters. Election posters are allowed, displayed on designated bulletin boards throughout a given city, or at private residences. Television advertising is not allowed during the election period, a big change from the U.S., where our elections seems to pivot on which candidate is running which (usually negative) ad this week. Similarly, using the Internet to reach out to voters is currently NG (a word the Japanese use meaning “no good”), and it’s illegal for a registered candidate to send email or use services like Twitter to get votes during the official election season, although third parties aren’t always bound by these rules. Incidentally, Japan’s famous otaku Prime Minister Taro Aso was in J-List’s home city of Isesaki today, here to give a speech in support of local politician.
Incidentally, don’t ever steal or deface these posters, as this carries a serious penalty if you’re caught by the police.
An official election poster display board;.
