[Whispers of Society] The World of Politics Changed by the Youth!
I am Grandpa, a supporter of Generation Z and the future generation!
Well, the ordinary Diet session is in its final stages. The House of Councillors election is finally approaching.
In the midst of this, following Mr. Ishimaru of the Path to Revival, Takahiro Anno, who went from being completely unknown in last year's Tokyo gubernatorial election to receiving the 5th highest number of votes after Koike, Ishimaru, Renho, and Tamogami, has announced his candidacy for the House of Councillors election.
Moreover, he says he will form a new party, 'Team Mirai', and run in the House of Councillors election to meet the requirements for a national political party.
As you know, the two requirements for meeting the criteria as a national political party and receiving political party subsidies are as follows.
1. Having 5 or more Diet members affiliated with the party. 2. Having
at least one Diet member affiliated with the party and receiving a vote share of 2% or more nationwide in the most recent national election (e.g., the House of Representatives general election or the House of Councillors regular election).
The reason such young, talented engineers have come to feel like challenging national elections is largely because Takashi Tachibana of the NHK Party, Shinji Ishimaru of the Path to Revival, Taro Yamamoto of Reiwa Shinsengumi, and Naoki Hyakuta of the Conservative Party of Japan taught them that they can fight elections even without the 'three bans' (jiban [base], kanban [signboard], kaban [bag/money]). The three bans are not necessary.
Mr. Anno is the least known among the aforementioned individuals, and the number of votes he gathered in the Tokyo gubernatorial election was about one-tenth (150,000 votes) of Mr. Ishimaru's (1.65 million votes).
However, after the election, he was invited by Governor Koike to serve as an advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where he used an AI-driven tool called Broad Listening to convey public opinion to the metropolitan government and contribute to creating a long-term vision for Tokyo's administration, and as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's AI Strategy Council, he has demonstrated his presence and achievements, which has increased his name recognition, especially among young people.
Unlike Mr. Tachibana and Mr. Ishimaru, whose trademark is aggressive speech and behavior toward major media (the press), his always calm responses show style and dignity, and his political creed of 'Creating a Japan that leaves no one behind through technology' puts the word technology, which symbolizes the rejuvenation of politicians, at the forefront, and contains the message that politics will lead Japan's growth strategy.
That is precisely why I want him to meet the requirements of (2) as a national political party.
He says he plans to run from the House of Councillors national constituency as the party leader. He cited the reason that he can settle down as a politician for six years and take on the challenge of bringing digital technology to Nagatacho.
The fact that the Path to Revival imposes a promise not to continue for more than two terms (eight years) on candidates for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election also means that they should produce results within that period. It means there is no reason they cannot produce results in six or eight years.
What is missing in Japanese politics is a sense of speed. However, speed can be achieved by distributing vaccines through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications route instead of the vested interest route of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, or by distributing rice through major retailers and convenience store routes instead of the agricultural cooperative route. I am looking forward to seeing what Anno can change in politics if he has six years.
In elections under the post-war constitution, the House of Representatives has only had an election upon the expiration of a 4-year term once, during the Takeo Miki cabinet in 1976, only once.
Because they enter into dissolution and general elections in a short period of an average of two and a half years, it is easy for Diet debates to always be aimed at political maneuvering, and lawmakers have to think only about the next election.
I think it was a wise choice to choose the House of Councillors instead of such a House of Representatives.
Political participation by young people is not limited to running for office. Voting is also a fine form of political participation. If the voter turnout increases, hope will be visible for Japan.
Without ever throwing your precious vote away, let's go to the polls.
Good luck, Gen Z!
Thank you for reading until the end.
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