Ten Candidates Announced

Shinto Kunimori, Channel Sakura's political group, announced that it would field ten candidates in the 2022 House of Councillors election — two in the nationwide proportional representation block and eight in constituencies — hoping to make Japan even a little better.

Because two are running in the proportional block, voters can support the party even if there is no candidate in their own constituency. It is surprising that Channel Sakura and Shinto Kunimori had the funds to field ten candidates at all.

The headline candidate is Hiroshi Ando, a former LDP member of the House of Representatives. After a weekly magazine reported an extramarital affair before the 2021 Lower House election, he served out his term without running again.

Shinto Kunimori's Platform for 2022

The party's manifesto for this election centres on economic policy to escape deflation: scrapping the primary balance surplus target and shifting national finances to proactive fiscal policy.

Candidates

What Each Candidate Says

Nana Honma

As a conservative party that values history, tradition and culture, she wants to seriously pursue constitutional revision — the founding spirit of the original LDP. She squarely opposes Toshihiro Nikai's China policy, and wants to correct a situation in which LDP candidates who disagree with Komeito's pro-China line cannot get Komeito's endorsement despite the two parties being coalition partners. She argues that this power structure is what distorts politics.

» Nana Honma's positions in the 2021 Lower House election

Hiroshi Ando

Running in the Tokyo constituency as co-leader. He had not planned to run but agreed at the request of council chairman Satoru Mizushima. Concerned that the LDP is reluctant to pursue proactive fiscal policy or cut the consumption tax, he calls for a tax cut to lower living costs amid inflation caused by COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis. He also says reforms carried out by the LDP and Komeito must be reversed — specifically electricity market liberalization and the unbundling of power generation and transmission, which he sees as a threat to energy security and people's livelihoods.

Kazuo Miwa

Formerly an LDP supporter, he questions a party whose purpose has become simply holding on to power. Seeing Japan in a critical situation, he wants proper diplomacy and defence and to delete Article 9 of the Constitution. His economic views match Ando's. Now over seventy, he regards this election as the last battle of his life.

Mari Azusa

Originally from Kanagawa, she ran unsuccessfully in Chiba 10th District in the 2021 Lower House election. She insists that rebuilding the economy and strengthening national defence must be done at all costs, calls for reviewing energy security policy to protect lives, and — for food security — wants to prevent Chinese capital from buying Japan's water sources, land and companies. She is running to win back Japan and hand a bright future to the next generation.

Eiichi Sawada

Sawada previously ran for the Hokkaido assembly for the National Conservative Party. He argues that Hokkaido is a microcosm of Japan's crisis: land pioneered with the blood, sweat and tears of earlier generations is being bought up by Chinese capital because of a political vacuum. He also questions, as an academic matter, whether the Ainu are truly an indigenous people of Japan, and sees forces seeking to profit from the issue. He has stepped forward to protect the land of Hokkaido.

Shunsuke Yamashita

He was shocked by, and considers problematic, a work at the Aichi Triennale's “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’” exhibition that involved burning a photograph of Emperor Showa, and worries that such exhibitions could spread nationwide and become normalized. He is also concerned that Japan has not grown economically since the consumption tax was raised from 3% to 5%.

Hideya Inagaki

An activist who has sensed a crisis in Japan for more than twenty years. Believing existing parties have no will to protect Japan, he joined the Kunimorishu movement and wants to strengthen national defence and security.

Yoshihiro Goto

He argues that Japan should strengthen its defences and conduct domestic policy backed by robust defence capabilities, and places great importance on preparedness.

Supporters' Reactions

• I thought they had no money, so fielding ten candidates was a real surprise.
• Kunimori is my only choice.
• I'm moved that the most trustworthy political force has been born.
• I hope they make flexible decisions to win seats and stand up for the country.
• I sincerely hope the new party and Kunimorishu make great strides.
• I'd like all of them to wear the blue ribbon badge.
• At last, a party that gives hope to a Japan with little hope.
• I want every one of them to win.
• Go, Shinto Kunimori and Sanseito!
• May a divine wind blow!

April 6, 2022 — sandragon965

» Back to Essays & Columns