Meet Japan election’s quirky candidates
TOKYO: From an opposition leader dubbed “Jack Bauer” to a gaffe-prone finance minister who referenced Adolf Hitler when talking about leaving a legacy, Japan’s election has thrown up some colourful characters.
Yukio Edano
Edano, leader of the new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, won fame as chief Cabinet secretary during the country’s 2011 tsunami disaster, briefing reporters daily and earning respect for his work ethic.
A Twitter campaign at the time was set up to persuade him to rest, with foreign media nicknaming him “Jack Bauer” – from the hit TV drama series 24 – for working around the clock.
Edano announced the launch of the new centre-left party just days before the election campaign started, vowing to stop Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “abuse of power”.
Taro Aso
Finance minister and deputy prime minister, Aso is known for a long list of gaffes and controversial remarks during a nearly four-decade career.
Earlier this year, the 77-year-old came under fire for citing Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in a bizarre reference about the importance of leaving a legacy in politics.
Aso – whose other remarks include criticising childless women and saying old people should “hurry up and die” to save healthcare costs – retracted his words but refused to quit.
Last month, he said Japan should consider shooting down potential “armed refugees” if hundreds of thousands fled North Korea to Japan.
Aso served as prime minister from 2008 to 2009 before his Liberal Democratic Party was ousted from office.
Shinjiro Koizumi
The telegenic and flamboyant Koizumi has drawn huge crowds to campaign rallies and has been suggested as a possible future leader.
Dubbed by some media as “Japan’s Macron”, referring to France’s president, the 36-year-old has inherited the rhetorical skills of his father, former leader Junichiro Koizumi.
Like his father, Koizumi Jr has a reputation for “one-phrase politics”, using a snappy slogan that resonates with grassroots voters.
A sweet bearing his likeness is the second-biggest selling souvenir in the parliament gift shop.
Mayuko Toyota
The 43-year-old Harvard graduate was once seen as a rising member of the ruling LDP, but resigned in June after an audio tape emerged of her violently attacking a male secretary.
She has decided to run as an independent in this election, sparking considerable media attention.
Every day, the very contrite Toyota goes to a railway station and bows deeply in apology to voters.
She has changed her image from a pink pantsuit – which earned her the nickname “pink monster” – to simple white and told supporters her heart was “on the verge of collapse” over the scandal.