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.

 

The Prime Minister Kishida Handkerchief which didn’t sell well

When the supplier arrived in the afternoon to make a delivery, Seiya Inoue, the National Diet representative from the towel wholesaler “Kyozen,” proudly spoke:

“Ishiba’s Prime Minister towel was revamped in mid-February to be more true to the actual product. In his keynote address at the regular Diet session at the end of January, the phrase ‘Fun Japan’ was mentioned, so we included that on the towel and updated it with an illustration of a smiling face.

The initial towels sold out all 240 units within a week, and since Ishiba’s appointment in November, we’ve sold 1,500 units. Ishiba’s mini handkerchiefs have sold over 1,000 units, matching the sales of Abe’s towels.”

Despite a sharp drop in approval ratings due to the issue of distributing 100,000 yen gift certificates to new members, and criticism from Shouji Nishida, a member of the House of Councilors (66), who said, “He hasn’t taken responsibility for the major defeat in the previous House of Representatives election. With the current system, we can’t win the House of Councilors election,” Ishiba is in a difficult position.

“However, Ishiba’s appeal lies in his Closeness to the people. He should just do what makes him himself and not be swayed by the voices around him,” said Terada.

When we relayed the sales and Terada’s comments to Ishiba’s office, their response was, “We are very honored. We will work hard to contribute to the sales of these goods.”

Incidentally, none of the companies involved in these products pay royalties, citing that members of the Diet are public figures. Nevertheless, the fact that mini handkerchiefs and towels are turned into merchandise has become a status symbol, and for lawmakers, having these items as “Nagatacho souvenirs” serves as a barometer of their popularity.

When asked by the aforementioned towel wholesaler, Inoue, about which politician he plans to target for the next product, he mentioned Yuichiro Tamaki (55), leader of the Democratic Party for the People, and continued:

“His popularity remains strong even after the scandal, so we may start selling products after the House of Councilors election.”

If the Liberal Democratic Party manages to survive the July House of Councilors election with a narrow defeat, a coalition with the Democratic Party for the People is being considered, and the idea of a Prime Minister Tamaki, Deputy Prime Minister Ishiba could emerge. Much like the towel sales, could the Ishiba administration also recover in approval ratings? To gauge the political landscape, it may be worth keeping an eye on Nagatacho souvenirs.