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Tokyo Weekender
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Nuisance YouTuber Hezumaryu Elected in Nara City Council Election
Former nuisance YouTuber Masahiro Harada, more commonly known as Hezumaryu, was elected for the first time in the Nara City Council election on Sunday. A total of 55 candidates ran in the election, with the 39 seats up for grabs. Harada finished third overall, with 8,320 votes. The 34-year-old received his official election certificate at a ceremony at Nara City Hall on Monday. List of Contents: 'Get Out of Nara' Campaigning as Hezumaryu Related Posts 'Get Out of Nara' Known for his prank videos and for shouting a t strangers , Harada said it was he who was yelled at while campaigning, with people telling him to 'get out of Nara.' This, though , didn 't dissuade him from running in the election. Instead of giving speeches on the streets, he decided to campaign on social networking sites and by going around in a campaign car. Speaking on the day he received his certificate, Harada promised he would do his best not to make mistakes. 'I'm getting a lot of attention from the media, and my influence has grown to an astonishing extent,' he said . 'Since I've received so much support, I want to do my best , so I don't disappoint people's expectations.' He added, 'I won't go back to being a nuisance. I won't ignite firestorms.' Campaigning as Hezumaryu Harada's campaign mainly focused on deer at Nara Park and how they should be protected. He also called for the installation of security cameras and trash cans in the park. His high-profile status as Hezumaryu on social media helped get his message across to large numbers. 'In the age of social media, name recognition is what matters,' said XCom Global founder Seiji Nishimura following Harada's triumph. Harada is infamous for his YouTube pranks, some of which led to him being arrested. He was taken in for questioning on multiple occasions in 2020 for various misdemeanors, such as attempting to return a T-shirt to a store in Osaka by falsely claiming it was a knock-off brand and laying a futon in the middle of the Shibuya Scramble intersection. He also recently gained attention for loudly shouting at foreign tourists in Nara Park. Related Posts LDP-Led Coalition Lose Upper House Majority, Ishiba Vows To Continue as Prime Minister Sanseito Explained: The Alarming Rise of Japan's Far-Right Movement A Record 42 Women Win Seats in Upper House Election
Tokyo Weekender
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
A Record 42 Women Win Seats in Upper House Election
Last month, Japan ranked a disappointing 118th for the second successive year in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, with political empowerment being the country's weakest category. It was, therefore, encouraging to see a record number of 42 female candidates elected in Sunday's Upper House election. The previous high was recorded during the last House of Councillors vote in 2022, when 35 women secured seats. List of Contents: Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election Four Women Elected in Tokyo Related Posts Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election In total, women won 33.6% of the 125 contested seats. However, the number of female candidates dropped from 181 in 2022 to 152 this year — with 102 running from electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. That represented 29.1% of all candidates, compared with 33.2% three years ago. The government was aiming for a 35% quota for female parliamentary candidates in 2025. Twelve female candidates from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) were elected, the highest number among all parties. That included Renho Saito, commonly known by her given name, Renho, for what was her fifth reelection. She automatically lost her Upper House seat after announcing she was running for the post of Tokyo governor last year. Incumbent Yuriko Koike won the gubernatorial election, with Renho finishing third. Four Women Elected in Tokyo Another female from the CDP to be reelected was Ayaka Shiomura, who was famously heckled in 2014 with the words 'hurry up and get married' by fellow council member Akihiro Suzuki after she asked about measures to help mothers. She was one of four women to win seven of the seats up for grabs in Tokyo. The other three were Mayu Ushida of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), Yoshiko Kira of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and Saya, representing Sanseito. 'I am really feeling the weight of each and every vote , and I feel a strong sense of responsibility,' said the singer-turned-politician Saya, who only goes by her first name. 'I believe that the real battle for Japan and for the Japanese people will now begin,' she added. Women accounted for five out of the seven seats Sanseito won in the electoral districts. It fielded 24 female candidates, compared to just 22 who ran for the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (17) and Komeito (5). Related Posts LDP-Led Coalition Lose Upper House Majority, Ishiba Vows To Continue as Prime Minister Sanseito Explained: The Alarming Rise of Japan's Far-Right Movement Why Japanese Leftists Are Using Melonpan to Mock Sanseito
