Election God Shinnosuke Fujikawa Passes Away—A Master of Winning Hearts

“When it comes to elections, adrenaline rushes through me.”

Shinnosuke Fujikawa, a renowned election planner who helped many politicians win office and supported the rise of former Hiroshima Prefecture Akitakata City Mayor Shinji Ishimaru (42) in last year’s Tokyo gubernatorial election, passed away on March 11 at the age of 71.

I worked under Fujikawa during the 2022 House of Councillors national election as a campaign worker, witnessing his exceptional skills firsthand.

Astonishingly, Fujikawa fought through the election battle while undergoing dialysis treatment every two days. However, he never let his condition show to the campaign staff, energetically moving about and taking charge of operations.

When I asked him about the source of his energy and vigor, he laughed and said, 

“Adrenaline kicks in during elections.” 

In reality, he was taking pills to give his body the necessary energy to push through.

Even at that time, he was in a situation akin to pressing the gas and brake pedals simultaneously, but after ten years of dialysis and relentless hard work, it’s clear that his body had reached its limit.

Fujikawa was a genius at winning people’s hearts.

He often said, 

“If you don’t move people’s hearts, no strategy matters.” 

This philosophy was evident in how he conducted his election campaigns.

One of the most symbolic examples of his approach was the group LINE messages he sent. Each message was long, spanning 50 to 80 lines per post, equating to around 450 to 720 characters when viewed on a smartphone.