Tokyo Governor Election Tainted by Resignation Scandal and NHK Party’s Message Board Hijack

The Tokyo gubernatorial election reached its declaration day on June 20th, marking the start of a heated battle.

Amidst all this, quietly withdrew from candidacy on June 19th was the “original nuisance YouTuber,” Hezumaryu.

On the same day, on his former Twitter account X, he posted:

“I’ve been refunded with a 3 million yen check. Oh, I withdrew from the Tokyo governor election.”

Afterward, I posted with a cashier’s check totaling 3 million yen as a deposit in hand.

“I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to everyone. It is true that I wanted to compete on the same stage as Ms. Koike and Ms. Renho in the Tokyo governor election.”

And with that, I explained the reason for withdrawing my candidacy.

According to Hezumaryu, he mentioned reasons such as being doxxed which led to harassment against his family by antis, having political campaigns conducted at his workplace, a hostess club, and feeling that it would be more meaningful to continue his volunteer work in the earthquake-affected areas of Ishikawa and Noto Peninsula, rather than running for office.

Regarding harassment.

“We are still living in fear, both my spouse and I. There is surveillance even at our back door, and we cannot go outside.”

They revealed that they plan to file a complaint with the police soon. However,

“We cannot blindly accept everything.”

This statement comes from a certain political figure. Hezuma held a candidacy announcement press conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on the 6th, with a large turnout of media.

“It seems like all the fuss was just for publicity, and withdrawing from the candidacy at the last minute could be seen as another publicity stunt. The individual claims it was a decision made after much deliberation, but during the recent press conference, when asked about their assessment of Governor Koike’s administration, they casually replied, ‘I haven’t studied enough. I don’t understand.’ They couldn’t even answer basic questions, so it’s understandable if people think they had planned to withdraw the day before from the beginning.”

On the internet, critical voices are flooding in with comments like:

 “Cut it out already!”

 “They’re seriously underestimating the residents of Tokyo.”

Criticism seems to be mounting against this situation.

In today’s age of social media, there has been a longstanding call for elections to become more entertaining. In the Tokyo gubernatorial election, a record-high 56 candidates are running. The current governor, Yuriko Koike, and Renho, who is from the Constitutional Democratic Party, are seen as the main contenders in what is described as a head-to-head battle. The increase in candidates can largely be attributed to media exposure and the ability to promote oneself through campaign broadcasts.

“It’s said that the campaign broadcasts will exceed 10 hours. People who want to stand out in the election and subsequently increase their income believe that paying the deposit of 3 million yen is ‘worth it.'” (political insider)

In this context, Hezuma’s last-minute withdrawal without even paying the deposit fee is a new tactic. There’s a possibility that others may imitate this approach in the future.

“Currently, there are no laws regulating this. Since suffrage is a right, imposing regulations recklessly could lead to legal violations by the regulators themselves. If there’s a dissolution general election later this year, things could get even more absurd.” (a national newspaper journalist)

The situation is causing apprehension and unease among many.

Not only Hezuma but also Takashi Tachibana, leader of the “NHK to Protect the People Party” (NHK Party), has stirred controversy by hijacking election poster bulletin boards with candidates and turning that space into a business venture for subletting.

 

“In recent years, the moral standards in elections have plummeted rapidly. Public interest in politics is only fading further.” (laments a political insider)

 

It’s no wonder they feel this way.

 

The chaotic Tokyo gubernatorial election isn’t just “unusual”; it seems poised to become the “norm” moving forward.