Latest news with #TokyoMetropolitanAssembly
Yomiuri Shimbun
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokyo Assembly Election Candidates Make Last Appeals to Voters on Final Campaign Day in Sweltering Heat
Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election candidates made their final appeals to voters on Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the election on Sunday, while taking precaution against the heat as temperatures rose above 30 C across the capital. A male candidate standing on a sidewalk in Shinjuku Ward wore a white, wide-brimmed hat and vest fitted with cooling fans. He urged the crowd to drink water to stave off heatstroke and vowed in a hoarse voice to 'fight to the very end.' Each party has framed the Tokyo assembly race as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming House of Councillors election, fielding campaign operations as robust as those seen in national elections. Observers are also watching to see whether chronically low voter turnout will improve. Turnout in Tokyo assembly elections has trended downward since peaking at 70.13% in 1959, hovering from 40% to less than 60% since the 2000s. The record low turnout — 40.8% — was logged in the 1997 race. The previous election in 2021 saw the second-lowest voter turnout at 42.39%, a decline attributed in part to voters staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Forward
6 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Tokyo Assembly Candidates, Talk to Young Voters About Definite Plans
このページを 日本語 で読む The next election for seats in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was announced on June 13. Voting will be held 10 days later on June 22. While this election is widely viewed as a warm-up for the nationwide summer House of Councillors (Upper House) election, Tokyo, the nation's capital, faces a wide range of challenges of its own. Disaster prevention and measures to combat declining births are high priorities. Policies made in Tokyo have an impact on local governments around the country. Therefore, we would like to see a sincere and informed policy debate. Approximately 300 candidates are expected to run for the 127 seats up for grabs in the metropolitan assembly election. Every party has pledged to combat the recent rise in prices by promoting wage increases, advocating support for household finances, and subsidizing rent. However, all of them need to clearly explain the effectiveness and feasibility of the policies they advocate. They must especially let voters know how they will secure the financial resources to carry out their proposals. Mid- to long-term policies addressing these problems cannot simply be left until later. To start, there needs to be a thorough discussion about disaster prevention measures, which are directly related to the lives of Tokyo residents. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's own projections, if a major earthquake were to occur directly beneath the capital, approximately 100,000 people would be killed or injured. Another roughly three million people would be forced to evacuate. Additionally, there is concern that Mount Fuji could erupt at any time. In such an event, large amounts of volcanic ash could paralyze city functions. How should we deal with such situations? Furthermore, there is a need to expedite the construction of underground or air raid shelters in preparation for emergencies. Voters listen to the speeches of candidates in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on June 13 in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward. (©Sankei by Hideyuki Matsui) Maintaining public order in the capital also requires stronger measures against illegal residence and employment of foreigners. Accordingly, measures regarding foreigners are expected to be included in the central government's basic policy. Hopefully, there will be coordination at all levels of government while addressing these problems. Policies to deal with declining births also need to be thoroughly addressed and aired with the public. According to the 2024 Vital Statistics, Tokyo's "total fertility rate" fell below 1.0 for the second consecutive year. That made it the lowest among all of Japan's prefectures. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is tackling this problem. Nevertheless, it is also the role of the metropolitan assembly to ascertain whether the support measures for child-rearing she is promoting are appropriate. Another topic requiring attention is how election campaigns are conducted. There were several notable problems during the Tokyo gubernatorial election in July 2024. For example, there were numerous instances where election notice board squares for candidate flyers were plastered instead with images of animals and nearly naked people. A noticeboar d in Setagaya Ward displays election flyers and details of the revised Public Election Law, on June 13. (©Sankei by Hideyuki Matsui) While not in Tokyo, there were also problems during the Hyogo Prefecture gubernatorial election in November 2024. Those included rampant slanderous attacks on and false information about candidates on social media. Fair, orderly elections are a pillar of democracy. Anything that undermines that ideal cannot be tolerated. Increasing voter turnout is another challenge, especially among younger voters. Consider turnout in the past three metropolitan assembly elections. Overall turnout was 43.50% in 2013, 51.28% in 2017, and 42.39% in 2021. But among voters in their twenties, the turnout was less than 30% in all cases. Tokyo has a population of approximately 14.2 million, and its total budget for fiscal year 2025 is ¥17.8 trillion JPY ($123.5 billion USD). Everyone must bear in mind that whether or not residents can live safely in Japan's capital in the end depends on the choices made by voters. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokyo Assembly Race Kicks Off: Voters Must Carefully Ascertain Information before Casting Ballots
With the nation's capital facing many issues, such as high prices, a declining birth rate, an aging population and disaster preparedness measures, how should the future of Tokyo be shaped? This election will not only test the candidates' views, but also the judgment of every voter. Campaigning for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election has officially kicked off. A record 295 people filed their candidacies for the 127 seats. Candidates will campaign for nine days until June 22, when voting and vote counting is held. Many Tokyo residents cite 'rising prices and wage increases' as points of contention in the election. In Tokyo, housing prices and rent are rising, placing a heavy burden on younger generations in particular. Many people are likely seeking an environment in which they can live without worries. According to national statistics released this month, Tokyo's total fertility rate — the average number of children born to each woman over her lifetime — stood at 0.96 last year, the lowest in the country. Increasing the number of children who will shape the future of the nation is a critical challenge. Preparing for disasters such as a major earthquake directly under the capital or heavy rainfall is also essential. It is important to carefully examine the policies presented by each candidate and determine who is most suitable. The Tokyo election is seen as a bellwether for the House of Councillors election this summer. The focus of the election will be on whether the Liberal Democratic Party, which currently holds 30 seats, can maintain its position as the largest party in the assembly. Whether the LDP, the Tokyo-based regional party Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites first group) and Komeito — the three parties that support the Tokyo governor — will be able to maintain their joint majority will also be closely watched. The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba remains low, hovering just above 30%. A scandal regarding LDP factions' involvement in failing to report revenue from political fundraising parties on political funds reports has spread to the LDP assembly group in the Tokyo assembly. The results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election are likely to affect the prime minister's ability to maintain party unity. In recent elections, false and unverified information circulated on social media, creating a situation in which elections could be influenced. The practice of candidates running solely to help another candidate win, known as 'two-horsepower' campaigning, has also become an issue. In last year's Tokyo gubernatorial election, posters unrelated to the candidates, such as advertisements for adult entertainment establishments, were posted on election poster boards, leading to a revision of the Public Offices Election Law to prohibit election posters that undermine dignity. This will be the first major election since the revised law came into effect. Acts that degrade elections, which are the foundation of democracy, cannot be tolerated. All candidates should keep this matter in mind. The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association issued a statement ahead of the Tokyo assembly election, expressing concern that inaccurate information could influence the election. Four member companies of the association, including The Yomiuri Shimbun, have formed a voluntary group to start fact-checking information found online, starting with the Tokyo assembly election. Urban areas have a large number of voters who have no party preference, and the 'wind' that determines election outcome can sometimes blow. In an era of information overload, voters must ascertain information to cast their ballots. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 14, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Parties See Tokyo Election as Bellwether for Upper House Election; Results Expected to Impact Ishiba's Administration
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. The outcome of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, for which campaigning kicked off Friday, is expected to impact Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration. Parties are focusing on increasing their support for their candidates running in the Tokyo election while having their sights set on the House of Councillors election this summer. 'We are fully committed to making sure all [Liberal Democratic Party] candidates are elected,' said Ishiba, who is also the president of the LDP, at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday morning. The LDP is likely to face headwinds over such issues as party members not reporting their incomes from political fundraising parties. The LDP did not plan to have Ishiba make a speech to the public on the first day of campaigning. Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, is appealing to voters by highlighting its ability to realize its policies while taking a tough stance on the LDP's issue of politics and money. Opposition parties are putting as much effort into the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election as they would a national election. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda has made stump speeches even before campaigning officially began. Noda spoke to voters about measures to tackle soaring prices, such as cutting consumption tax on food – one of the party's pledges for the upper house election. The Japanese Communist Party also views a consumption tax cut as a key issue for the Tokyo election, aiming to build momentum for the upper house election. As the Japan Innovation Party, an Osaka-based party, hopes to increase its presence in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, JIP chief Hirofumi Yoshimura and coleader Seiji Maehara will split up to cover more ground while campaigning.
NHK
13-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Campaigning kicks off for Tokyo Assembly election
Candidates running for seats in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly have kicked off nine days of official campaigning. The Assembly election is being viewed as a prelude to the Upper House election that will be held this summer. A total of 295 candidates are vying for 127 seats in 42 districts. That is the highest number of candidates for an assembly election in over three decades. The Liberal Democratic Party is fielding 42 candidates, TOMIN First is running 37, Komeito 22, the Japanese Communist Party 24 and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan 20. The Japan Innovation Party has six candidates, and Tokyo Seikatsusha Network has three. Those political parties have seats in the Assembly. The Democratic Party for the People is running 18 candidates, Reiwa Shinsengumi is fielding three, Sanseito four, the Conservative Party of Japan one, the Social Democratic Party one and the Path to Rebirth 42. None of them has seats in the Assembly. Seventy-two candidates are either running with other groups or as independents. Observers are eager to see whether the LDP will be able to remain the biggest force in the Assembly, despite the money scandal that some of the party's Assembly members were involved in. The members failed to declare some of the revenue from fundraising events. Observers are also waiting to see whether the parties supporting Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko, such as the LDP, TOMIN First and Komeito, will maintain a combined majority in the Assembly, or whether the opposition forces will push them into the minority. The Assembly election will be held on June 22. Campaigning is expected to be intense, as the results could affect the next Upper House election.
