Campaigning begins across Japan for Oct 31 general election

"We have concrete plans for reviving Japan..."

As long as the plans do not involve three arrows or let's make Japan great again, my ears are open.

For Japanese voters, behave sensibly and avoid big crowds. You don't need to wait as many polling stations will be open across the country for predating ballots before the election day on 31.10.

I'm having great difficulty in making up my mind who to vote for......

Luckily, even after 35 years of residency and paying tax.... I don't get the right to vote.

What is the purpose of this election? Everyone already knows Kishida will continue as PM with 100% probability. Save time and money, please!

Victor.....

The purpose of this election? The same as all others..... to let the voters think they have power, so the farce of "democracy" can continue.

Kishida, who took office on Oct 4, has pledged to realize economic growth and redistribute wealth to the middle class in a course correction of "Abenomics," which has been criticized as helping lift corporate earnings and share prices but failing to spark wage gains.

So he has identified the problem; though he was a willing participant in the ruling party government and policies through the decades of failed trickle down policies. And the solution is:

"We will distribute the fruits of economic growth in the form of salaries and income.

Meaning with no policy changes the promise of supply side economic reforms will come true this time. Just wait and see!

Say what you will about empty campaign promises, but at least the opposition parties like the JCP and CDPJ seem to have actual policy proposals to address economic suffering beyond the LDP's promises of a fountain of QE easy money and a slogan "new capitalism".

Defence spending up? while food and utility prices also go up?, should there be a conversation about that?. Wages at best stagnant, several urges didn’t change that.

‘The LDPs constant fear they might loose their privileged hereditary positions to another one party state, unless the people make sacrifices to protect them? Their total lack of forward planning for the population. And not any plan to make life in Japan happy or enjoyable enough to even think of starting a family. The corruption? The beuqacratic nonsense, complicating the most straight forward of interactions. It just goes on and on. Any choice than the LDP can’t make things worse.

will......

For the next annoyingly noisy week they all will promise everyone anything they want.

Anyone foolish enough to believe it, please contact me, I own a really nice piece of beach front property for sale!

Does it even matter? the election results are already clear. LDP will win a landslide and will likely be gaining significant number of seats this round. All political family members will win in a landslide. Voters vote based on heritage and legitimacy.

And they call this democracy ?

Japan has good quality food

Low crime rate

Few guns and drugs.

Decent health care.

Let's hope that continues.

The election choice process is mildly pathetic.

Seems obvious kashida and his goons will continue.

Japanese communist party ??? Hows that even possible

Its not possible to be nihonjin and be communist both.

Good luck with the election

@Marcelito

Open your eyes and see 3

Females in 5 seconds in the photo.

That photo looks like some employer organized ,bused in, group thing ,and not a single female in sight.

Me thinks you need a pair of glasses!

Ok Yubaru, but the original poster has a point. Are there so few ladies in that prefecture? Good god.

It's like a swarm of ojisan.

I suppose one good thing about this election is it almost definitely won’t be followed by bottom-feeding hysterical morons having total meltdowns about election fraud.

My coworker once asked me who I’d vote for if I was a Japanese citizen. When I replied I’d have to read the manifestos first, he looked at me as if as if the idea had never crossed his mind.

Its not possible to be nihonjin and be communist both

My old Japanese teacher ( RIP sensei ), was a communist and did more voluntary work in the community than pretty much anyone I know. Loved and respected by all of us in the class and community.

Can’t think of a better Japanese national I’ve met in over 20 years here. Wish there were more like him.

Politicians promising new things.

Must be only in Japan if you listen to the narrative.

Just because Japan does it differently doesn't mean it's worse then your crap version of democracy and freedom.

Just because Japan does it differently doesn't mean it's worse then your crap version of democracy and freedom.

You might have a point, but if you could drop the whataboutery just for once, do you like the idea of pretty much non-existent alternatives to the ruling party?

When the party I voted for was in charge with a massive majority in my country, I thought it was unhealthy for democracy. Makes leaders complacent, lazy, arrogant and even extreme.

What do you think?

one program more unrealistic as the next….I wonder in which dream bubble they altogether are locked in. lol

voting population should vote in the opposition even just (like last time/Noda) to get these dinosaurs to get a possible “urge” to think of what the populous need and not just themselves and the incrowd at Nippongakai and co. Dear Japanese change is inevitable and not to be scared of!

"Luckily, even after 35 years of residency and paying tax.... I don't get the right to vote."

And exactly where are foreigners allowed to vote in General Elections???

Name a country, (with the notable exception of Irish and qualified Commonwealth citizens in the UK)

FYI, Japanese cannot vote in the UK, in case you're thinking of the immediately preceding paragraph.

A single one will do.

Maybe a half?

marcelitoToday 06:07 pm JST

That photo looks like some employer organized ,bused in, group thing ,and not a single female in sight.

I see one woman and guess an other one.

But yes, the picture does not look like random. Looks like some organizations, unions, local political vips , that were called to be there

I can see five females in the photograph.

I think that, at this time of the evening, some posters have had a drink or three and should be in bed.

Unfortunately, after all the huha nothing will change.

Lot of dudes. Pass.

Besides Oct 31 is for Halloween! Dress up and hit the streets! Club 7-11 all night long!

Simple solution to those who have been living here a long time and want to vote.

Apply for Japanese citizenship, get it, then vote.

Otherwise stop complaining, it's not a right, not a principle, it's the law. It's a literal waste of time. Dont talk about wanting to keep your own citizenship and Japanese, that's not the way things are here. You moved here knowing the rules, and if you didnt, then you are an idiotic, or maybe something worse!

Seems to me there are some folks who want Japan to change for them, and no matter how "entitled" you feel, that just is not going to happen,

YubaruToday  05:03 am JST

Simple solution to those who have been living here a long time and want to vote.

Apply for Japanese citizenship, get it, then vote.

I would also have to actually move house to find someone worth voting for. The only people running in my area are the LDP and pseudo-LDP fringe candidates.

Otherwise stop complaining, it's not a right, not a principle, it's the law. It's a literal waste of time.

So is telling people not to complain. You know it's going to happen no matter what.

Good morning and agree @zichi 12:13am on your first statement about the intent of such posted articles about Japanese Politics yet, still curious as to how you continue to come upon the latter “conclusion” data after day? Do you have access to such specific data or, is it just your personal feeling about the user demographic after many years experience here? (Please don’t be over-sensitive again, there’s no intention to insult. It’s a legitimate question based ion your post in this open forum.)

@zichi 12:13am: “The purpose of the post like all others, regardless of the topic are placed for people to make comments regardless of their legal status, and in fact, does not matter when the poster actually lives in the country or not, …

and many do not.” -

ReasonandWisdomNipponOct. 19  09:37 pm JST

Just because Japan does it differently doesn't mean it's worse then your crap version of democracy and freedom.

If one party full of third or fourth generation crooks, racketeers and incompetents can keep winning elections and stay in power for seven decades I think it does mean that.

Anyway, you know nothing about where other commenters are from so I'm not sure what you think gives you the right to make such arrogant, self-righteous presumptions.

I would also have to actually move house to find someone worth voting for. The only people running in my area are the LDP and pseudo-LDP fringe candidates.

Fortunately down here the LDP is not a "given", and in fact there have been national elections where no LDP candidate won in the direct election, they only got in because of the "proportional representation" vote!

Anybody with half a brain would vote CDPJ first or if that's not an option JCP.

People here NEED to understand that if they want change they're only going to get it by voting for someone else. That's how change works

YubaruToday  08:09 am JST

"I would also have to actually move house to find someone worth voting for. The only people running in my area are the LDP and pseudo-LDP fringe candidates."

Fortunately down here the LDP is not a "given"...

They are where I am, unfortunately.  I'd want to vote for another party with a serious chance of winning power, and only the CDPJ comes anywhere near matching that description in Japan. I don't know of any CDPJ candidates in this constituency though, and the JCP and SDP don't seem to have any either. That leaves voting for conservative fringe candidates as the only conceivable alternative to the LDP incumbent, which I don't think even many Japanese people would see much point in.

Doesn't really matter since most of the folks here don't have the right to vote in Japanese elections.

So, say whatever you like.

PeepingTom...

And exactly where are foreigners allowed to vote in General Elections???

Name a country, (with the notable exception of Irish and qualified Commonwealth citizens in the UK)

FYI, Japanese cannot vote in the UK, in case you're thinking of the immediately preceding paragraph.

A single one will do.

My wife ( Japanese national) was able to vote in the UK.... as a legally registered foreigner.

You will find that WALES is still part of the UK.

Tom SanToday  08:49 am JST

Doesn't really matter since most of the folks here don't have the right to vote in Japanese elections.

So, say whatever you like.

Anyone who has the right to become a Japanese national also has the right to vote.

Anyone who has the right to become a Japanese national also has the right to vote.

Really?

Anyone who has the right to become a Japanese national also has the right to vote.

Not in Japan. Unless you're a Japanese citizen, that is.

Simple solution to those who have been living here a long time and want to vote.

Apply for Japanese citizenship, get it, then vote.

Otherwise stop complaining, it's not a right, not a principle, it's the law. It's a literal waste of time. Don't talk about wanting to keep your own citizenship and Japanese, that's not the way things are here. You moved here knowing the rules, and if you didn't, then you are an idiot, or maybe something worse!

Seems to me there are some folks who want Japan to change for them, and no matter how "entitled" you feel, that just is not going to happen,

Oh, well. Some of us hear you clearly. I do, for one.

Tom San

Today 01:30 pm JST

"Anyone who has the right to become a Japanese national also has the right to vote."

Not in Japan. Unless you're a Japanese citizen, that is.

I mean, if someone becomes a Japanese citizen, which I think we all have the right to do, they get the right to vote too. Therefore we can vote in Japan as the conditions attached are not impossible to meet. However the right to vote in a safe LDP seat is not a benefit worth giving up my own nationality for.

 if someone becomes a Japanese citizen

Duly, noted. That's correct.

Apply for Japanese citizenship, get it, then vote.

Otherwise stop complaining, it's not a right, not a principle,

I agree.

Otherwise stop complaining

This I don't agree with. As taxpayers and people who have been given permission to live here indefinitely, ,and have chosen to stay here, I think we have the right to complain. We just don't get a say in who gets to lead.