Former Gravure Idol Runs for Office... "Even If You Work in Nightlife, Go Vote": All Eyes on 3 Million Host-Club Votes [Japan General Election Highlights]

3. Midwinter general election... A roundup of the stories in the spotlight
Youngest candidate 25, oldest 92
Calls for "All hosts in Kabukicho to vote"

Editor's noteJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has played the early general election card just three months after taking office. As even the Japanese media call this an unusual move, attention is focused on how closely Prime Minister Takaichi's calculations to overturn the opposition-controlled Diet and voters' judgment will align. From each party's campaign pledges to unconventional candidates, this series looks at Japan's general election from multiple angles.

Youngest candidate 25, oldest 92... Who are the unconventional contenders?

The average age of candidates running in this election is 52.8, slightly younger than the 54.2 average in the previous race. The youngest candidate is 25-year-old Sakai Ryo, born in 2001, who is running in Hyogo Prefecture. In Japan, you can stand as a candidate for the House of Representatives from age 25. The oldest is 92-year-old Fujiwara Yukihiro, an independent running in Tokyo's 8th district.

Morishita Chisato, a candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party. Morishita Chisato campaign.

Because this House of Representatives election was called so suddenly, it is seen as a difficult moment to recruit new political talent. As a result, parties mainly turned to celebrities, idols, and announcers who already have some name recognition. The Liberal Democratic Party put forward former gravure idol Morishita Chisato as a candidate. The Japan Innovation Party nominated 25-year-old former member Uragami Nana of the Nagoya-based idol group "dela" as a constituency candidate.

Former idol Uragami Nana. Uragami Nana's camp.

Hosts make headlines in politics... Will 3 million host-club workers become a fixed factor?

On the eve of the House of Representatives election, the votes of Japan's nightlife workers, known as "hosts," have emerged as another constant in the race. This is because "Roland," a nightlife worker turned entrepreneur and influencer, publicly urged hosts to go to the polls. On January 30, he posted on social media (SNS) an article titled, "Dear politicians, we now live in an era where nightlife workers go out to vote."

He went on to say, "We now live in an era where even people in the mizushobai (nightlife business) go to vote," adding, "I see it as the responsibility of managers like myself to teach hosts the basics of society. All hosts in Tokyo's Kabukicho should go out and vote," he appealed.

Kabukicho, the entertainment district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukicho.

The following day, he added, "If all 3 million nightlife workers take part in the vote, I think it could have quite a significant impact." As debate grew over where the 3 million votes might go, his remarks were picked up in the election special sections of major Japanese media outlets.

Midwinter voting... Weather likely to play a role

With the election taking place in the middle of winter, the weather has emerged as a major variable. In heavy snowfall areas, delays in snow removal have forced candidates to suspend campaign swings, and there have even been mishaps where election posters were buried in snow and became unrecognizable. This has fueled strong public criticism asking, "Is it really necessary to hold an election in this kind of weather?"

The Yomiuri Shimbun pointed out, "Because street campaigning is difficult, parties are increasing indoor rallies and promotional activities on social media, but many elderly people live in heavy snowfall areas, putting parties in a difficult position."

Election posters in Aomori, damaged by heavy snowfall, have just been installed. Aomori Broadcasting.

A representative of the Democratic Party for the People also told the Yomiuri, "How are we supposed to ask people to go out and vote in the middle of a blizzard?" adding, "This is all the more true in areas hit by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, where residents are still living in temporary housing."

The media are also closely watching how the weather will affect the election. Jiji Press analyzed, "This year, turnout for early voting (advance voting), which is available up to the day before the main vote, is expected to be higher than on election day itself."

Writing names instead of using a stamp... Bizarre cases of invalid ballots

Japan uses a voting method quite different from that of Korea. Instead of stamping a mark under the candidate's name, voters must write in block letters on the ballot the name of the candidate for whom they wish to cast their vote. Because of this, local election commissions always stress points to be careful about. This year, municipal websites carried notices warning that "If you write anything other than the candidate's name, such as 'Certain Victory,' 'Fighting,' or hearts, the ballot will be invalidated." Messages such as "Certain Victory for XX," "Fighting, XX," or "To Mr./Ms. XX" are all treated as invalid.

A municipal notice from Sendai City asking voters not to scribble or make any other marks on the ballot except to write their name.

Because of this system, lawsuits over how to interpret names written on ballots occur quite often in Japan. In 1996, in an election where candidates Noda Seiko and Matsuda Iwao both ran, some ballots bore the name of then-popular singer Matsuda Seiko, triggering a dispute over to which candidate the votes should be allocated. In the end, they were ruled invalid on the grounds that "this is the name of a third party, not a candidate's name."

There are also invalid ballots that decide people's fates. Candidate Sakai Toshiaki, who lost by a single vote, protested to the election commission that a ballot reading "Sakai who is moving" was clearly intended for him. He argued that, as he was about to move house, it was highly likely that the voter was an acquaintance. However, the election commission deemed the phrase "who is moving" a violation of the rules and treated the ballot as invalid.

The main vote for the House of Representatives election is scheduled for February 8. Ballot counting is also set to take place on the same day. Japanese media predict that, buoyed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's approval ratings, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, will win a landslide victory.