Dutch Baka
Feb 3, 2008, 11:53
Last week another TV personality has became a governor here in Japan.
Hashimoto wins Osaka governorship / Kumagai's defeat seen blow to DPJ
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Toru Hashimoto, a lawyer and TV personality backed by the prefectural chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, won Sunday's Osaka gubernatorial election.
Hashimoto defeated four other candidates, including one backed by the Democratic Party of Japan.
Hashimoto gave a banzai cheer with his supporters at his campaign office in Osaka at about 9 p.m. and said, "I'm only 38 years old, but with my energy and explosive force, I want to reconstruct Osaka from the ground up."
He will become the nation's youngest serving governor on Feb. 6, and the third youngest since the start of the public election system in 1947.
The 38-year-old garnered 1,832,857 votes. Sadatoshi Kumagai, a former Osaka University professor backed by the DPJ, the Social Democratic Party and People's New Party, won 999,082 votes, followed by Shoji Umeda, a lawyer backed by the Japanese Communist Party, with 518,563 votes. Masaaki Takahashi, chairman of a residents' association, took 22,154 votes, and Seiichi Sugiura, a volunteer probation officer, 20,161.
For the first time in 33 years, three candidates separately backed by major parties ran in the race. However, Umeda's campaign was overshadowed by the fierce tussle between the other two major-party-backed candidates.
The voter turnout was 48.95 percent, up from 40.49 percent in 2004, when incumbent Fusae Ota was reelected after the lowest turnout in Osaka gubernatorial election history...
...Hashimoto is believed to have earned most of the so-called owarai ballots--those cast by voters who tend to select TV personalities. It is said that there are about 1 million such voters in the prefecture.
The achievements of Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru, a former TV personality, in publicizing his prefecture may have contributed to Hashimoto's win...
"You're the one who'll make a historic change tomorrow," Hashimoto yelled to supporters from atop his campaign vehicle, where he was joined by the Miyazaki governor, on Saturday in front of JR Osaka Station.
Hashimoto asked Higashikokubaru, who defeated the LDP-backed candidate in the Miyazaki gubernatorial election a year ago, to make a support speech, although Hashimoto has declined offers from party heavyweights and popular TV personalities for such speeches. "Hashimoto is the only one who can publicize Osaka [across the nation]," Higashikokubaru said.
During the campaign, Hashimoto often encouraged the young voters who flocked around him to go to the polls, rarely explaining the details of his platform.
Party policy forbade LDP and New Komeito heavyweights and local assembly members belonging to the parties from canvassing for Hashimoto on the streets, leading to some campaigning taking place behind the scenes.
(Jan. 28, 2008)
Source (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080128TDY01303.htm)
Looks like TV personalities are taking over Japan. Hashimoto a lawyer, a TV personality, and a father of 7 (yes, 7) kids. I saw him in his election car a couple of weeks ago, and I know him from a TV program. I would like to know more information about him, and the problems Osaka has. Anyone got any links in English for me?
GO GO HASHIMOTO.
Hashimoto wins Osaka governorship / Kumagai's defeat seen blow to DPJ
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Toru Hashimoto, a lawyer and TV personality backed by the prefectural chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, won Sunday's Osaka gubernatorial election.
Hashimoto defeated four other candidates, including one backed by the Democratic Party of Japan.
Hashimoto gave a banzai cheer with his supporters at his campaign office in Osaka at about 9 p.m. and said, "I'm only 38 years old, but with my energy and explosive force, I want to reconstruct Osaka from the ground up."
He will become the nation's youngest serving governor on Feb. 6, and the third youngest since the start of the public election system in 1947.
The 38-year-old garnered 1,832,857 votes. Sadatoshi Kumagai, a former Osaka University professor backed by the DPJ, the Social Democratic Party and People's New Party, won 999,082 votes, followed by Shoji Umeda, a lawyer backed by the Japanese Communist Party, with 518,563 votes. Masaaki Takahashi, chairman of a residents' association, took 22,154 votes, and Seiichi Sugiura, a volunteer probation officer, 20,161.
For the first time in 33 years, three candidates separately backed by major parties ran in the race. However, Umeda's campaign was overshadowed by the fierce tussle between the other two major-party-backed candidates.
The voter turnout was 48.95 percent, up from 40.49 percent in 2004, when incumbent Fusae Ota was reelected after the lowest turnout in Osaka gubernatorial election history...
...Hashimoto is believed to have earned most of the so-called owarai ballots--those cast by voters who tend to select TV personalities. It is said that there are about 1 million such voters in the prefecture.
The achievements of Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru, a former TV personality, in publicizing his prefecture may have contributed to Hashimoto's win...
"You're the one who'll make a historic change tomorrow," Hashimoto yelled to supporters from atop his campaign vehicle, where he was joined by the Miyazaki governor, on Saturday in front of JR Osaka Station.
Hashimoto asked Higashikokubaru, who defeated the LDP-backed candidate in the Miyazaki gubernatorial election a year ago, to make a support speech, although Hashimoto has declined offers from party heavyweights and popular TV personalities for such speeches. "Hashimoto is the only one who can publicize Osaka [across the nation]," Higashikokubaru said.
During the campaign, Hashimoto often encouraged the young voters who flocked around him to go to the polls, rarely explaining the details of his platform.
Party policy forbade LDP and New Komeito heavyweights and local assembly members belonging to the parties from canvassing for Hashimoto on the streets, leading to some campaigning taking place behind the scenes.
(Jan. 28, 2008)
Source (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080128TDY01303.htm)
Looks like TV personalities are taking over Japan. Hashimoto a lawyer, a TV personality, and a father of 7 (yes, 7) kids. I saw him in his election car a couple of weeks ago, and I know him from a TV program. I would like to know more information about him, and the problems Osaka has. Anyone got any links in English for me?
GO GO HASHIMOTO.