20,000 Shots of 'Team Mirai': The True Faces of Candidates as Seen by the Photographer
I am Okita, a member of Team Mirai. I am involved in writing note articles and taking photos for speeches. In this article, I would like to share some treasured photos that I haven't shown before, while conveying the true faces of Team Mirai's official candidates.
First, let me talk a little bit about my street speech photography technique. Photographing speeches is quite unique; it is quite difficult to capture the decisive moment, such as the speaker's good expression and pose, or whether other candidates standing next to them have their eyes half-closed or are making a strange face.
Therefore, I take many shots and choose the good ones later. As a result, the number of photos has ballooned to about 17,000 so far. The title of this article comes from the fact that it will surely exceed 20,000 by election day.
Getting closer to the true faces of the candidates!
From here on, I would like to introduce some photos of the official candidates and get closer to their true faces. I photographed eight people: four official candidates in Kanto, three proportional representation candidates, and Mr. Kuroiwa. For the other eight, please check out their various social media accounts. The official Team Mirai page has links to each official candidate's page.
Tokyo Official Candidate: Yuya Mineshima
Mr. Mineshima, who is cool and seems very capable. Actually, he is very expressive and often shows full smiles and playful expressions. This is my favorite off-shot taken before a street speech in Yurakucho.
When I am shooting, there are inevitably photos where the candidate has their eyes closed. I don't usually use such shots, but the photo below is an exception. I posted it in the article about the first speech, explaining the background that 'due to circumstances, the speaker did not arrive in time, so the speech began with his raw voice.' Can you feel the sense of him shouting with his raw voice?
After all, I wanted to choose a cool photo, so here is this one that looks like a scene from a drama. The suit suits him very well.
Chiba Prefecture Official Candidate: Shuhei Kobayashi
Mr. Kobayashi has been a hot topic for a while, with people saying, 'His T-shirt is cute' and 'His pose is cute.' As you can see in the photos, he is a mood maker who is always smiling, and he is someone who makes me look forward to going around to street speeches with him.
Of course, when the speech starts, he also shows a sharp expression. This is my best shot taken at Chiba Station.
That Mr. Kobayashi is a super versatile person who handled everything from driving the election car to video shooting and system development during the gubernatorial election. When I first met him, he was in charge of streaming the speech meetings. I also like Mr. Kobayashi when he has that professional face.
Saitama Prefecture Official Candidate: Kazuko Muto
She is a really fun person to photograph. Her gentle personality shines through even in the photos. Her joy and gratitude appear on her face in an instant, and I am always looking forward to seeing what kind of face I can capture next while looking through the viewfinder.
During the first speech under the scorching sun, Ms. Muto went around expressing her gratitude to each and every supporter who came to help.
Perhaps because everyone is attracted to her personality, Ms. Muto is always in a circle of people. The supporters in Saitama are all as smiling and kind as Ms. Muto, and they warmly welcome me, who only shows up occasionally after going around here and there.
Kanagawa Prefecture Official Candidate: Michio Kawai
Too refreshing. In addition to the refreshing look you see, Mr. Kawai's words during street speeches are sincere and serious, and there is no doubt that once you listen to him, you will be captivated by his charm and want to support him.
Since his cool appearance during speeches has already been introduced a lot on social media, I will show you an off-shot with maximum freshness here.
The final photo is my best shot from the evening speech at Yokohama Station. The contrast with the background is beautiful, making for a dramatic image.
National Proportional Representation: Eitaro Suda
Eitaro Suda, the campaign manager, is the reason I became a supporter. We studied cultural anthropology together in college. My impression of Suda-san is that he is 'a person who is always traveling.' Not just in his private life but also in his work, he flies all over Japan, getting involved in community development everywhere.
I love traveling too, and it has become a habit of mine to ask Suda-san for recommended spots before I go anywhere. It is also fun to meet people he has worked with in those towns and hear stories about his active involvement.
The coolness of his posture and the way he waves his hand is undoubtedly number one among all the candidates. He is always sharp, and I find myself admiring him.
The cultural anthropology course was a department that attracted interesting people, and Suda-san naturally has that side to him as well. As I mentioned in another article about a commercial shoot, the sight of him starting to eat a whole loaf of bread straight from the bag for breakfast was shocking. It is unfair that he still looks cool even then.
National Proportional Representation: Satoshi Takayama
Combining the dignity of a calm and composed strategist with a burning passion—that is Secretary-General Takayama. In Tachikawa, where he had only just begun his street speeches, Takayama-san was full of confidence from the very first moment he spoke.
I accompanied him on street speeches around Tokyo, where he drove the campaign car himself, saying he wanted more and more people to know about Team Mirai. We stood on street corners all day long, and he ended with a fiery shout in the rain. Seeing him put down the microphone and bow deeply made the eyes of us supporters grow hot with emotion.
Just when you think that, Takayama-san gets out of the campaign car and says, 'Well, I have to go back to the office and get ready for the live stream.' What a monster of stamina.
The next one is a shot taken after a street speech in Suidobashi. Even though he is from Kansai, shooting in front of the Tokyo Dome!? So, this photo was shelved for a while, but it is acceptable in the flow of this article... right? Also, since Takayama-san apparently lived near Suidobashi before, you could say it is his 'local team.' Please be understanding and 'do not stir up division' here.
National Proportional Representation: Takahiro Anno
Of the 20,000 photos I mentioned, about 5,000 are of our party leader, Takahiro Anno. I flatter myself by thinking that perhaps I am the person who has taken the most photos of Anno-san in the world, but as he gets more attention in the future, I am sure that number will be surpassed in no time.
First is a shot taken in Yurakucho. The color of the roof, the composition, and his expression looking far into the distance were so good that it was used several times for announcement images.
The next one is a personal favorite of mine, although it was a bit too dramatic to use effectively. A big sky suits the big scale of Anno-san well.
The next photo was used for messages like '1% Revolution' and 'The future changes from one seat,' so many of you may have seen it. It is a shot that makes my heart race with his powerful expression at the first speech in Shibuya.
Rina Kuroiwa
Anno-san's wife, Rina Kuroiwa. She is such a master of public speaking that people often ask her, 'Why don't you run for office?' and I have heard some people say they learned about Team Mirai through her. She gave a wonderful speech at the first event in Shibuya as well.
Kuroiwa-san is also a familiar face on Team Mirai's YouTube channel. As in the videos, it is fun to watch the interactions that reveal the trust between her and Anno-san. The next photo is a scene where Anno-san is adjusting the microphone Kuroiwa-san is holding.
Finally, here is a photo of her speaking to everyone who gathered in Shibuya for the first speech. Since it is a composition from behind, I couldn't use it well on social media, but it is a personal favorite of mine that captures the scale of the event.
Please come to the final microphone session on the 19th @ Tokyo Station Marunouchi Station Square, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
The election campaign is finally entering its final stage. Whether or not the number of photos reaches 20,000 by the final microphone session on the 19th, I hope to take many more and share some great shots with you.
The location is the Marunouchi Station Square at Tokyo Station, and the time is from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Tokyo official candidate Yuya Mineshima and national proportional representative Takahiro Anno will deliver their final appeal to everyone. Please come and join us. And let's carry this momentum created by Team Mirai into national politics!
