Photo/Illutration A pedestrian looks at a billboard filled with posters for the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Seven political parties jointly submitted legislation Feb. 20 to avert a repeat of the farce that ensued in last year’s Tokyo gubernatorial election on candidate billboards around the capital. 

Many of the record 56 candidates running sold the space set aside for their campaign posters on the billboards leading to some that advertised, for example, sex industry outlets.

The bill submitted was to revise the Political Offices Election Law regarding posters. But only a supplementary provision was included calling for future discussions about defamatory posts to social media.

Among the new provisions regarding posters were one that called for upholding the dignity of elections, while another required clearly placing the candidate’s name on the poster.

A maximum fine of 1 million yen ($6,700) would be issued if a poster was found to have been used for commercial advertising purposes.

Ichiro Aisawa of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said the changes could be in place for the June Tokyo metropolitan assembly election and the July Upper House election.

Another issue included in the supplementary provision for future discussion involved candidates campaigning on behalf of one another and with no intention of gaining office.

Officials with the Tokyo and Hyogo prefectural election administration commissions appeared at the Feb. 20 session of the Lower House special committee on political reform that discussed the legislation.

The officials told of the many problems that emerged in their elections of 2024.

Yusuke Oda of the Tokyo commission related how some candidates were persuaded to “run” in the Tokyo gubernatorial election because of recruitment pitches that suggested garnering a larger number of views through social media by utilizing the campaign posters.

As a result, 56 individuals filed to run, more than double the previous record of 22 candidates.

Oda said the number “greatly exceeded any rational estimate” about candidates and added that the election was abused for business purposes because some of the candidates made money through their posts on social media, which received donations or a greater number of views.

Oda said the current law never anticipated such use of posters and called for immediate action to deal with what transpired.

Junichi Oizumi, who heads an organization providing details about carrying out elections, was called to provide expert testimony.

He said gaining revenue through social media went against normal campaign activities and suggested that parties establish guidelines about such acts to serve as a reference point.

Hideichi Nagata of the Hyogo commission explained what happened in the November gubernatorial election in which Takashi Tachibana, head of a political organization opposed to Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), campaigned on behalf of the incumbent Motohiko Saito rather than seek election himself.

Nagata said, “Voters became confused about what they should believe in. There are limits to what can be done under the current law so there is a need to strengthen it.”

The parties that submitted the legislation are in agreement about campaign posters, but they have varying views about the use of social media in elections, leading to the supplementary provision about future discussion.

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