FOCUS: Criticism persists over Japan’s election system favoring celebrities
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FOCUS: Criticism persists over Japan’s election system favoring celebrities
Political parties in Japan have long faced criticism for fielding celebrity candidates. The upper house electoral system gives more weight to name recognition. Some analysts warn that social media has enhanced the ability of celebrities to dominate elections. With deliberation and accountability receding, voters need to make more careful and informed choices based on policy content and competence rather than popularity or image, they say. The trend risks undermining democratic governance, a researcher at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute said. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the researcher and do not reflect those of Japan’s ruling party or any of its political parties or its members or members of the executive or legislative councils. The writer is a member of the Japan Institute of Public Policy, a think-tank based in Tokyo, and the author of a book on Japanese politics, “Japan: The Making of a Democracy,” published by Routledge, which is published by Simon & Schuster, priced £16.99.
Races for both the upper house and the more powerful House of Representatives contain a proportional representation section. But while voters can only choose parties in this section for the lower house, they can write either a party name or an individual’s for the upper house, giving well-known figures a clear edge.
Some analysts warn that social media has further enhanced the ability of celebrities to dominate elections as “talent candidates,” as brief, emotionally appealing messages spread rapidly and attract more attention than substantive policy debate.
As the trend risks undermining democratic governance, with deliberation and accountability receding, voters need to make more careful and informed choices based on policy content and competence rather than popularity or image, they say.
Lawmakers in the upper house of the country’s bicameral legislature serve six-year terms. Elections are held every three years to replace half the chamber, ensuring legislative continuity and preventing a complete turnover of members.
In upper house elections, voters cast two ballots — one to choose electoral district representatives for 74 seats and another under the proportional representation system to fill the remaining 50 seats with candidates on party lists.
In the past, figures such as the late Yukio Aoshima, a former scriptwriter and comedian, and the late award-winning novelist Shintaro Ishihara entered politics through upper house elections under a system similar to proportional representation.
Yoichi Masuzoe, an expert on international affairs and a former TV commentator, also won his first seat in the chamber under the proportional representation system. All three — Aoshima, Ishihara and Masuzoe — later became Tokyo governor.
Along with former TV personalities, singers, actors and comedians, athletes and YouTubers have run in upper house elections, often backed by major parties including the Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power for most of the period since 1955.
In the upcoming race, a 39-year-old dancer popular with young people is being fielded on the LDP’s proportional representation list using his stage name, with an increasing number of candidates opting to use names they have become famous with rather than their legal ones on the ballot.
As social media has become more pervasive, it has become easier for election authorities to acknowledge that such names are more widely recognized than legal names, potentially giving celebrity candidates an even greater advantage.
Indeed, one voter, Yuhei Matsukawa, 36, said he does not know what the dancer aims to achieve as a lawmaker, but may write the candidate’s name on the ballot simply because he recognizes him from social media.
Although candidates must register under their legal names, if the election commission determines another name they go by is familiar to the public, it can be used in campaign bulletins, posters and TV policy speeches, according to the internal affairs ministry.
But Masahisa Endo, a professor specializing in voting behavior at Waseda University, said use of alternative names, if changed frequently in elections, may obscure a candidate’s record, making it more difficult for voters to evaluate their trustworthiness or past positions.
“It becomes harder for voters to understand why a candidate is making certain pledges or whether they truly intend to deliver,” he said, stressing that shifting names reduces transparency and leaves the public with fewer clues to assess policy credibility.
Moreover, some celebrity candidates or those running mainly for publicity, lacking strong political motivation or clear policy goals, have caused problems or left office soon after being elected, casting doubt on the seriousness and integrity of their bids.
In 2022, popular YouTuber GaaSyy was elected under the proportional representation system on the ticket of a minor opposition party, but was expelled from the upper house in 2024 for failing to attend any parliamentary sessions.
GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, rose to fame as a YouTuber, posting videos about celebrity scandals on his channel. Shortly after losing his seat, he was found guilty of habitually intimidating celebrities online.
In recent elections, a flood of information about political parties and candidates, especially on social media, has made it more challenging for voters to discern what is accurate, said Takehiko Nishino, a researcher at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
Under such circumstances, “voters are expected to develop media literacy to make thoughtful choices at the ballot box by gathering information on policy issues they care about through traditional media and social platforms,” he added.
Source: https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/57446