Uncertainty Over Incumbent’s Third Term Amid Tokyo Governor Election and Kabukicho’s Nightlife Challenges

Sunday, July 7th. Coincidentally, the Tokyo gubernatorial election, which fell on Tanabata, saw incumbent Yuriko Koike (71) win re-election.

 

To investigate the voting habits in Kabukicho, the author sent a LINE message to a host acquaintance asking, “Did you vote?”

 

After some time, the reply came back: “I’m too busy preparing to meet Orihime♡.”

 

And that’s to be expected, Tanabata is an event day in Kabukicho, where hosts in yukata are busily moving around the streets.

 

There are almost no hosts who would write wishes like, “May Tokyo and Japan’s politics improve,” on a Tanzaku. Wishing to be “number one” is, in a way, the proper way for a host to spend Tanabata.

 

On the other hand, there were some hosts who seemed to enjoy this gubernatorial election from a Kabukicho perspective. 

 

“Around the office, we were playing a game where we voted on questions like, ‘Which is more likely to get into hosts, Yuriko or Renho?’ and if you picked the one with fewer votes, you had to drink a penalty shot.”

 

Haruto (a pseudonym, 25), a host who actually went to the polling station.

 

“During the last gubernatorial election, I hadn’t moved my residency from my hometown. I thought, ‘I’m not going to live in Tokyo forever,’ so I didn’t go. But after four years of working as a host and getting involved in management, I moved my residency here and went as a Tokyo resident. My boss also told me to vote.”

 

In the host community, Toshio Tamogami (75) surprisingly enjoyed some popularity, and many hosts went to the polls to support him, though their digital literacy was often lacking.

 

There were several people who, perhaps to show off that they, as night workers, are still responsible citizens, posted photos of their ballots on social media with a message saying, “I voted.”

 

Incumbent Koike, who won re-election, is known for her tough stance on the host industry, including setting up a task force against malicious host clubs during her second term. Consequently, hosts were apprehensive about her continued tenure. 

“If we leave Tokyo for Yuriko, it wouldn’t be surprising if the nightlife scene gets shut down any time! I wanted either Mr. Ishimaru (Shinji, 41) or Mr. Tamogami to become governor. I want everyone involved in the nightlife to vote in the next gubernatorial election.”

Such a blunt logic was overflowing in hosts’ social media posts.

“It seems like an attempt to show they’re serious about politics or participating.” 

Asuna (a pseudonym, 28), a hostess, with a wry smile.

“I used to live in the nightlife without paying taxes in my early twenties, thinking that city politics didn’t concern me. But after I started paying taxes properly, I began going to the polls.

For young people, having an interest in elections and politics seems to be a kind of status symbol. I wish there were items to show off that you voted, like getting a sticker that says, ‘You did a good job!’ or something that could be posted on social media as proof of doing a good deed.”

If stickers could increase voter turnout in Kabukicho, it might be worth considering.

From the July 26/August 2, 2024 issue of FRIDAY