Despite Low Approval Ishiba Prime Minister Towel & Handkerchief Sales Soar at the National Diet Building
Contrasting with the approval rating, Good Effort
In the souvenir shops at the National Diet Building and the Members’ Office Building, there are unique souvenirs that can’t be found elsewhere. These include manju, cookies, senbei, stationery, tea, and teacups featuring the portraits of all 65 past prime ministers. There are also exclusive diet building limited ningyo-yaki (sweet buns).
Among them, the items that stand out are the mini handkerchief (440 yen) and towel (450 yen) featuring a portrait of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (68), which bear a strikingly inaccurate resemblance to him (Note: Prices may vary depending on the store).
Shinzo Terada (79), the owner of “Okamedo” in the Second Members’ Office Building, which has a history of 54 years, says:
“How much the public is interested in politics tends to influence the sales of prime minister goods. I expected that Ishiba’s goods would not sell well due to his rapid drop in approval ratings after taking office, but they’ve been selling surprisingly well, which has been a happy surprise.
There have been towels with portraits of past prime ministers, but Ishiba’s towel is the first to be sold individually. Some people buy all five colors: white, blue, pink, yellow, and green. The mini handkerchiefs have been a series since the Abe era, and they sell well, except for the one with Kishida. It seems that the portraits make a strong impact.”
When you actually pick up the politician handkerchief, the printed portraits are surprisingly inaccurate. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (67) can barely be recognized by his glasses. Former Policy Research Committee Chairman Shinjiro Koizumi (43) can only be identified by his hairstyle, and Prime Minister Ishiba is impossible to recognize without his name next to his portrait. The shop, which is just over 8 tsubo (approximately 26 square meters), is filled with various politician goods, but the mini handkerchiefs stand out for how inaccurate they are.
