Photo: YouTube/ハタシアイチャンネル -HATASHIAI-
politics

Protect the Nation from NHK Party becomes Protect the Nation from Old Parties Party

17 Comments
By SoraNews24

Dissatisfaction with Japan’s evergreen ruling party the LDP has been swelling recently with regards to the general handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and insistence on holding the Olympic Games. This has been creating small cracks in the powerful political party and thus opportunities for Japan’s more chaotic politicians.

There’s certainly no shortage of them, from Super Crazy Kun to Yusuke “Joker” Kawaii, but anytime you see one of these fringe candidates emerge, you’ll likely see Takashi Tachibana nearby.

▼ Here we see Tachibana kickboxing noted eccentric candidate Teruki Goto.

As the leader of the Protect the Nation from NHK Party, Tachibana has been a trailblazer for unorthodox political campaigns. His party was formed with the agenda to abolish the heavy-handed door-to-door fee collection system of Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK. Tachibana is also a prolific YouTuber, giving video lectures on NHK fees and how to avoid paying them if you don’t want to.

Throughout the 2010s his popularity grew and in 2019 he was elected to a seat in the Diet, elevating his party to a new level of legitimacy. This win was no doubt fueled by Tachibana’s Car-Sex-Adultery speech, which was given shortly before his win and may go down as his Gettysburg Address.

Tachibana has since given up his seat and pursued other political ambitions, but mainly seems to be acting as an adviser to other unconventional candidates. And with this expansion of interests, Tachibana has also decided to change the name of his party from the Protect the Nation from NHK Party to the Protect the Nation from Old Parties Party.

He explains that the party’s essential goal remains the same, but he has determined that the way to truly end NHK’s fee-collecting ways is to attack the source, which he says is the ruling LDP party.

In addition, this new name gives the party the freedom to go beyond their single-minded anti-NHK agenda and ride the current wave of disapproval with the LDP at the same time. On the other hand, some people online wonder if the new name came out of Tachibana’s recent court loss against the broadcaster in which he owes them about 40 bucks, pending appeals.

“He couldn’t protect us from NHK, so how is he going to protect us from huge political parties?”

“He never won against NHK, not even once.”

“Fine, then I will launch the Protect the People from the Protect the People from Old Parties Party Party.”

“He may be a joke, but the fact that his party got 980,000 votes in 2019 says a lot.”

“I’m surprised at how easy it is to change a party’s name.”

“The funniest part is that I saw this reported on NHK.”

“So the abbreviation of this new party will be ‘Old Party’ then?”

“YouTuber Party would be the best choice.”

“Tachibana can’t keep getting attention just by changing his party name.”

A number of comments also expressed exhaustion over the repeated changes that Tachibana’s party has undergone over the years. For the record, here are the past names used by this party, prior to becoming the Protect the Nation from Old Parties Party:

The Refusal to Pay NHK Reception Fee Party

The Protect the Nation from NHK Party (N-Koku)

Protect the Citizens from NHK Party

The Party to Teach How to Not Pay the NHK Reception Fee

That doesn’t seem like a lot, but in between each official name change, Tachibana floats even more name changes and spin-off parties to the media such as the Golf Party and The Party to Crush NHK and Judge Hiroshi Oshima! On a case-by-case basis, some ideas seemed to have been shot down by election officials, while others just kind of faded into obscurity as Tachibana’s mind shifted to other things.

But perhaps most telling was last month when he suggested the creation of the Nothing Especially Party in the following YouTube video.

In the video, Tachibana shows how support for the LDP has fallen to 35.6 percent. While that still eclipses the major opposition parties, at the very end of the list is the “nothing especially” column which is the sum of all other parties. That particular field displays at a whopping 40.1 percent.

If all these parties were to form a coalition, then they could conceivably overtake the LDP in a national election. However, this would involve a complex negotiation of vastly different ideologies to merge the likes of the Pachinko Party, Pro-Wrestling Party, Bald Party, Free Tuition Party, School Refusal Party, Children Party, Love Smoking Party, and 16 other groups including the Protect the Nation from Old Parties Party.

This coalition would be called “nothing especially” based both on their designation on the polls and nebulous thinking they would posses as a united bloc. It’s a crazy idea, but “crazy” is what Tachibana knows best, and if support for LDP continues to bleed during and after the Olympics, he and his ball of confusion may be able to seriously shake things up on a national level.

Sources: NHK, Hachima Kiko, Tokyo Sports

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Leader of political party that refuses to pay NHK ordered to pay NHK

-- “NHK Repelling Stickers” free for anyone wanting to keep away Japan’s public TV fee collectors

-- City Councilman Super Crazy Kun’s election victory ruled invalid by commission

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

17 Comments
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Should be protect the nation from old people (like Mori, Suga, Aso) party

12 ( +13 / -1 )

This coalition would be called “nothing especially” based both on their designation on the polls and nebulous thinking they would posses as a united bloc. It’s a crazy idea, but “crazy” is what Tachibana knows best, and if support for LDP continues to bleed during and after the Olympics, he and his ball of confusion may be able to seriously shake things up on a national level.

Sad that in the world of Japanese politics Tachibana cannot out-buffoon the actual ruling party?

Streams of knuckle-headed comments: Aso expressing admiration for Hitler and hoping the elderly would hurry up and die; cyber-security ministers who have never used email

and the general inanity of the Olympic push that it will light up our life, signal the struggle against coronavirus is over and redeem the victims of the 2011 disasters.

Tachibana couldn't do worse could he?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Guarantee the LDP will bring out the Korea card again to achieve election victory. Happened all the time. Last time being the pathetic kamikaze export controls. The neighbours are prob laughing cos the LDP leaders are clueless about everything.

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

NHK is the LDP's wormhole into the brains of the zombified parts of the population that have not been intellectually inoculated against their insidious subliminal signaling and messaging. As Abe once said, "You can't fool all of the people all of the time".

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Bald party?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Japan is a one-party state, and the LDP is the ruling party. Other parties are for entertainment purposes, and to validate Japan's 'democratic' credentials.

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

the problem is that Japan never had a decent opposition that can pull it out of its political misery.

the only chance they had was spoiled by the political exploitation of the 2011 disaster and subsequent use [by both his own party's sleaze-balls and the LDP] of Naoto Kan as a scapegoat.

it really was and still is a disgusting state of affairs.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A Rigged "stage" fight, but never-the-less, the politician did himself exert himself... which is unusual (I think) when compared to other Japanese Politicians. I hope the career of this opponent isn't damaged.

As for his Politics, he is aligned to what the majority of the Population feel about NHK... and probably the UK needs someone similar too.

I would hope, that he goes forth and positions himself as an Honest Politician - someone who admits to being like the rest of us... "Scandals" are for gossip Mongers/Media simply to promote themselves. Real Crimes, however should be investigated and not ... covered up.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It’s obvious that an even much more stupid opposition like for example those clowns will not make anything better either, isn’t it?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

His party was formed with the agenda to abolish the heavy-handed door-to-door fee collection system of Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK.

Are there still NHK fee collectors? I think this is all done by automatic bank transfers now. I haven't seen a collector in a decade at least.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Hubert Gulletchip Should be protect the nation from old people (like Mori, Suga, Aso) party

They're younger than old people running US

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sven AsaiMay 23  10:06 pm JST

It’s obvious that an even much more stupid opposition like for example those clowns will not make anything better either, isn’t it?

The problem with the opposition is numbers and money. In elections it's like the LDP playing with a full team of eleven while the opposition can only kick off with six. It's also said that they don't do much except criticise the government. The LDP richly deserve to be criticised - I don't think the criticism goes nearly far enough - but opposition parties could do themselves a favour by proposing their own legislation in the Diet. Sure it would get voted down even if it were good, but it would show that they had their own policy plans and ideas.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This party is full of joke and crap and Mr Tachibana scum. The party hasn't done any effort to keep their election pledges. No wonder its popularity and recognition rates have fallen deep, and no single candidate has been elected at local, even least competitive districts (in 27 losing streak)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The basic rules of good politics are good upright and simple and honest balanced government.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To really get rid of the LDP they also need to remove all their cronies in the public service!

Putting an age limit on all politicians wouldn't be a bad idea either!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This guy is a legend

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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