A person looks at an election poster board for Tokyo gubernatorial election Monday, July 1, 2024, in Tokyo. Tokyo elects a new governor on Sunday, July 7, but residents say personal publicity stunts have overtaken serious campaigning to a degree never seen before. There are nearly nude women in suggestive poses, pets, an AI character and a man practicing his golf swing. A person stands near an election poster board for Tokyo gubernatorial election on June 21, 2024.
But this year’s wackiness — notably from non-candidates renting the billboard space — is proving exceptional, and residents have flooded election offices with angry calls and messages. Tokyo, a city of 13.5 million, has outsized political and cultural power in Japan. Its budget equals that of some nations, and its policies impact the national government.Hours after official campaigning began on June 20, residents faced a stunning array of posters. For some, it’s not even clear whether the person behind it is a candidate or simply seeks exposure.
In another video, a male candidate who represents what he calls a “golf party” talks about his policies while occasionally practicing his golf swing. “We have to be wacky or we don’t get media attention,” Tachibana said in a YouTube comment posted on the party website.