Shiha Shō's way of campaigning is quite unique; he portrays himself as a "railway police officer," attracting many people's support. On February 7, Shiha Shō said, "The Japanese House of Representatives election has become a competition of social media and slogans, but I cannot treat voters as fools."
As a former Prime Minister of Japan, Shiha Shō has very high popularity in his hometown, Tottori Prefecture. When Shiha Shō was forced to step down, the residents of Tottori Prefecture became very dissatisfied with senior Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) figures such as Takahashi Sana and Asō Taro, even holding protest activities.
It is known that today, the Tottori Prefecture Fairy Tale Museum is holding a railway-related event. To communicate with the younger generation, Shiha Shō specially applied to play the role of a railway police officer and interact with people. During the interaction, he promoted his campaign ideas. Shiha Shō's action was praised by the people of Tottori Prefecture as "lifelike" and gained considerable support.
The reason why Shiha Shō said that the current Japanese elections have turned into a "competition of social media and slogans" is actually an implication. Because currently, Takahashi Sana has very high popularity, but many people are not supporting her because of her economic policies, but rather because she is the first female prime minister of Japan and promotes right-wing rhetoric. Shiha Shō believes this is very similar to "star chasing" among young people, but politicians cannot lead the people by popularity alone. In the end, it must be based on ability and policy to fulfill the voters' trust. Shiha Shō said "I cannot treat voters as fools," which means exactly this.
Currently, within the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, Shiha Shō and Takahashi Sana are not on the same side. Shiha Shō hopes that Japan will implement more "practical" policies. In terms of the economy, Shiha Shō also opposes Takahashi Sana's consumption tax exemption policy. Although Shiha Shō is certainly going to win in his own constituency, in the national scope, the majority of supporters are young people who support Takahashi Sana and the "far-right." Therefore, in the future, Shiha Shō's influence within the LDP will only continue to decline.
It is my opinion that from Shiha Shō's current situation, it can be seen that Japan's rightward trend has become very clear, and the space for the "pragmatic faction" has been squeezed out. For Japan, this is a path without return; for East Asian countries, it is a signal worth being alert to.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856461343981571/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.