On this hot summer day, the battle for the Tokyo gubernatorial election has already begun, but no one expected that the astonishing act of a young female candidate would turn the entire election scene into a hot spotlight.
On June 27, at NHK's candidate political opinion presentation, 31-year-old Airi Uchino attracted everyone's attention in an unprecedented way. When she started to speak, everything seemed normal. However, just two minutes later, Airi Uchino suddenly showed nervousness and discomfort, and immediately after, she made a move that stunned everyone - she began to take off her coat and take off her glasses!
This scene immediately caused an uproar on the Internet. Some exclaimed that it was a blasphemy against serious political activity, while others praised her success in making her name stand on the hearts of the people. And more people are wondering: In this era of information explosion, how can politicians capture the attention of voters?
The 6-minute video of Airi Uchino's political opinion announcement is titled "Come and see the cute me political opinion announcement". The three political ideas she put forward are the most unique in history: befriend her, promote her YouTube channel, and let everyone know her. This politics, which revolves entirely around self-promotion, contrasts sharply with other candidates' focus on actual policies, prompting deep reflection on the nature of politics.
However, we can't just focus on this "strip show". In fact, the Tokyo gubernatorial election has set a record of 56 candidates, reflecting the high level of interest in this important position. In addition to Airi Uchino, 71-year-old current Governor Yuriko Koike and 56-year-old former Senator Hasuho are considered popular candidates.
Under the slogan "Defend the Capital", Yuriko Koike emphasizes the protection of people's lives, livelihoods, and economies. During her tenure of office over the past eight years, she has achieved certain results in responding to the pandemic and providing childcare subsidies. On the other hand, Hasubo advocates increasing the wages of young people, stabilizing employment, and promoting fiscal transparency, and has won the support of three opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party.
This election is not only a showdown between women, but also a battle between the government and the opposition. It reflects the changes in Japan's political ecology, the rise in women's awareness of political participation, and society's demand for pluralistic politics.
It is worth noting that Airi Uchino's behavior, while alarming, also exposes some of the problems in modern political communication. In today's prevalence of social media, how to capture the attention of voters in a short period of time has become a challenge for every candidate. Airi Uchino chose an extreme approach, and while it managed to attract attention, it also attracted a lot of criticism.