Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called a snap election for February and Japan’s crowded political landscape is scrambling to catch up. As always, we can expect some wacky candidates from the fringe parties and some crazy attention-seeking stunts.
There are always a few celebrities who throw their proverbial hats into the rings too.
While she’s not a celebrity, music idol Nana Matsuura quit her group, dela, and agency last week to contest a seat in the election.
Matsuura is running as a candidate for the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), which is a conservative party with a very strong Kansai base but has struggled to break out nationwide. Nonetheless, its Kansai strength gave it enough lawmakers to keep the Liberal Democratic Party in government after the last election’s mediocre results.
We assume that the LDP and Ishin will cooperate this time and not field some candidates against each other in certain House of Representatives seats, though the one in Aichi where Matsuura is running is not one of those, meaning she faces some stiff competition.
What is perhaps most notable is that Matsuura is just 25 years old, the youngest age a political candidate can be. Japan is now entering an era where lawmakers were no longer born in the 20th century.
Matsuura is a graduate in law from Nanzan University, a private college in Aichi, and used to work for an IT company.
She has set about changing her image with new social media showing her in a serious-looking suit.
“I have been appointed branch chief of the Japan Restoration Party’s Aichi 9th District (Tsushima City, Inazawa City, Aisai City, Yatomi City, Ama City, Kaifu County). I am 25 years old and, as a member of the younger generation, I am determined to realize politics that takes responsibility for the future. I will push forward with economic revitalization, measures to combat the declining birthrate, and education reform, with a focus on painful reforms.”
Will her gamble pay off? We will find out on February 8, where local voters head to the polling booth.
Such career pivots are often motivated by money, since it pays more to be a politician than an idol. While Matsuura is surprisingly young, some older gravure and music idols switch to politics when their first careers dry up, such as former gradol Chisato Morishita and Speed’s Eriko Imai.
Which idol would you like to see enter politics?
