With suggestive poses and pets, 'wacky' election campaigning tests Tokyo's patience, AP, 7/5/24

[progree]

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/07/05/npr-toky-wacky-election-campaigning-tests-tokyos-patience

Tokyo elects a new governor this weekend, but residents say personal publicity stunts have overtaken serious campaigning to a degree never seen before, with nearly nude women in suggestive poses, pets, an AI character and a man practicing his golf swing.

... With internet campaigning still relatively new, candidates traditionally use designated election billboards — more than 14,000 of them — to promote themselves. The makeshift billboards are set up only during the short campaign season and are valuable space for exposure ....

. . . One billboard featured racy posters for an adult entertainment shop. Another had an almost naked female model in a suggestive pose with a message that said “Stop restricting free speech.” Others showed photos of a pet dog or a female kickboxer. One candidate called AI Mayor used an image of a metallic humanoid.

Campaign video clips have also drawn criticism. One shows female candidate Airi Uchino saying, “I’m so cute; please watch my campaign broadcast,” and repeating her name in a high-pitched, anime-style voice while asking voters to be friends on social media. She then strips down to a beige-colored tube top. In another video, a male candidate who represents what he calls a “golf party” talks about his policies while occasionally practicing his golf swing.

All emphasis added by Progree

Most of these are not by candidates or their official campaign organizations, but by people and businesses seeking attention and exposure. Which violates the rules for using these designated election billboards, but there is little regulation or enforcement.

I hope the righties here don't hear about it -- do you want to see billboards with monster-size near-naked pictures of DJT? Videos?