Why Japanese Leftists Are Using Melonpan to Mock Sanseito

Tokyo Weekender

2 days ago

A soft and fluffy sweet bread with a crispy cookie-like crust on top,
melonpan
is a popular snack in Japan. Not actually flavored with melon, it gets its name from the distinctive grid-like pattern on the crust.
You'll
find these sweet snacks in convenience stores and bakeries all over Japan, but are they safe to eat? Not according to Toshiaki Yoshino, a dentist,
periodontist
and leader of the political group Japan
Seishinkai
. At least, that was his view three years ago when he was delivering a speech ahead of the 2022 House of
Councillors
election as a member of the
Sanseito
Party.
List of Contents:
Melonpan Adopted by Communist Party To Mock Sanseito
Sanseito's Anti-Wheat Policies
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Melonpan Adopted by Communist Party To Mock Sanseito
'I've seen a lot of people die the next day after eating
melonpan
,' said Yoshino. He left
Sanseito
the following year, citing differences in ideology. However, the video of that speech from the election campaign has recently resurfaced online, with the Communist Party using it to mock
Sanseito
. At a rally in Osaka on July 4, Communist Party leader
Tomoko Tamura
was handed a
melonpan
by her colleague. She held the sweet bread aloft while singing 'Power to the People' by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band after criticizing
Sanseito's
anti-foreigner policies. Since then,
melonpan
has become the party's unofficial symbol, with supporters bringing them to rallies and
l
eft-
w
ing activists waving them in protest during
Sanseito
speeches.
On July 10, Mizuho Umemura, who joined
Sanseito
in June, posted on
X
, 'Eating
melonpan
will kill you' is not the official stance of the party.' She added, 'We ask all citizens to be cautious of spreading misinformation.' The message was posted with a picture of Umemura with a
melonpan
in hand. In another post, she criticized the policies of other parties
,
such as the Constitutional Party of Japan, the Communist
Party
and the Japan Innovation Party, while asking why '
Sanseito's
melonpan
topic is getting so much attention?' This was followed by
a
n
X
Community Note, providing some background details.
Image and logo: Wikimedia
Sanseito's Anti-Wheat Policies
One of
Sanseito's
key policies for the Upper House election is to promote food and health care without using chemicals. It feels the Japanese diet became too Westernized after the US-led Occupation. It has also been claimed that the party believes that wheat was introduced to this country after the war as a tool to poison the Japanese mind and body. Responding to
Sanseito's
reported anti-wheat policies, leader
Sohei
Kamiya
said
, 'You should look at the evidence and eat what suits your constitution. I
don't
think
it's
100% a lie that 'wheat is bad for you,' but it's being exaggerated.'
Sanseito
is known for its controversial policies. It recently
pledged
to make terminally ill patients cover all medical expenses for their life-prolonging treatments.
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