After spouse passes, Japan woman 'uplifted' by alternate online political info, candidates

TOKYO -- In the Japanese capital in mid-May, a woman planning to run in this summer's House of Councillors election was delivering a speech on the basement floor of JR Shinjuku Station's west exit, with the subject centering around criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. Many in the audience intently listened, with around 60 to 70 people staying throughout her two-hour speech.
"Unless people take interest in politics, Japan will become a colony of China," the woman stated.
In the audience was Yamada (a pseudonym), a 70-year-old woman, with a "hinomaru" Japanese flag of the rising sun in her hand. A resident of the Tokyo suburban city of Machida, she works part-time at a nursing care facility.
"I've been coming here since last week. That's because I've noticed that something is wrong with Japan. I'm listening to a lot of people on videos. You don't know what's going on in Japan by watching the news (in mass media). They are biased. The Mainichi Shimbun gets commissions by selling information to China, doesn't it? That's no good," she harshly told this reporter when I approached her for an interview.
The Mainichi is not selling information obtained through its news coverage to Chinese authorities. But she wouldn't give me room to refute her claims. She repeatedly mentioned a "conspiracy theory" and said, "Around half of Diet members are people from 'the other side.'"
Yet, Yamada gradually began to share her own life story, and we met again sometime later.
She lost her husband to cancer two years ago after nearly half a century of marriage. They had no children, and she was engulfed with a deep sense of loss right after his passing. She was at a loss, and couldn't get anything done.
Around half a year ago, finally finding a bit of calm, she started to follow politicians who looked "young, powerful and as good-looking as possible" to her, including Shinji Ishimaru, who garnered massive votes in last year's Tokyo gubernatorial race, and Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) leader Yuichiro Tamaki. "It doesn't cost you any money, and it benefits society. I also get uplifted (while cheering for them)," she explained.
Around the same time, she began watching YouTube to learn about politics and world news. In particular, she draws on footage streamed by international affairs analysts emphasizing "the truth that is not reported by the media."
She confides, "My brain tends to start thinking about painful things unless it is doing something else. To get away from it (avoid thinking about my husband), I'm watching videos." She spends almost all of her free time viewing those videos, sleep being the only exception. "(My mobile data) is running short," she said with a wry smile.
She became a member of the DPFP three months ago. Her reasoning was that the party is powerful enough to achieve a regime change and is "almost centrist."
She owns two mobiles -- a smartphone for watching videos and a feature phone. The latter's standby screen shows a picture of her late husband. They are still together, all the time.
"Honestly, I'd like to be part of this photo, but I'm doing this as I know I'll still have things to do for the rest of my life," she said.

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