Now, Tokyo Gubernatorial election has begun.
During campaign, wooden panels of candidate’s pictures are put up on the streets, and boisterous cars announcing their recorded names are driving from town to town.
During campaign, wooden panels of candidate’s pictures are put up on the streets, and boisterous cars announcing their recorded names are driving from town to town.
It is the election which chooses the Governor of Capital in our country.
Tokyo’s size as a city is colossal, with more than 12 million populations and more than 13 trillion budget size. Stuffs working for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including Police officer, firefighter, school teachers, number about 170,000. Anybody who be elected will almost possess as much influential power and as much strong authority as presidents of medium size of sovereign states.
It quite matters who will be elected for not only residents of Tokyo but also people in Japan. But at the same time, the election has drawn lots of attention in different meaning recently because couple of famous or eccentric candidates run for the election, for some seemingly just to sell their names on this much publicized event.
This is the picture of one candidate, which proclaims in four Kanji letters “OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT”. On the right side, it also states “Let’s destroy this shitty country”.
Another candidate’s policy pamphlets, who is a famous inventor (according to his own explanation he invented Floppy Disc for the first time), and run for Tokyo Gubernatorial election in three consecutive times, manifest, “I will protect Tokyo by inventing the special device that has missiles U-turned”, which is obviously in reference to North Korea’s Nuclear Bomb.
When we think about current contentious issues, such as incumbent Governor’s high-handed education policy or his moot decision to invite Olympic to Tokyo, we can’t help contemplating seriously each candidates’ platforms as well as their personalities. But it would be boring to have only grumpy, serious, pompous, prestigious university graduating people for our selection. Furthermore, election should be open to everyone. Variety of choices could enable people who otherwise would be indifferent to politics itself to have interest in the election.
And of course, we should be ready for our own subsequent result.
By the way, when we have elections, there are TV program where each candidates are give time to present their own introductions and policy platforms through government run channel, NHK (kind of equivalent to BBC in UK). Because candidates should be free from ANY interference or censorship by the Government, they can announce WHATEVER they believe and want to deliver to viewers. So sometimes, whereas NHK is well known for their strong political-collectness, the programs become unbelievably shocking.
I put the legendary candidates’ footage, who run for Tokyo Gubernatorial election in 1991.
This is hilarious!
2 comments:
I saw TV program which 4 candidates spoke their measures or idea for the government of Tokyo,this morning. But I have't chosen the best candidate who has the most concrete measures･･･.
Four candidates?
i guess they are Mr.Sakura, Dr.Nakamatsu, Mr.sreetmusician,and that billionare architect.
wow, we have wonderful choices,don't we?
anyway,thank you for reading!
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