Izumi and Hiroyuki open call for candidates in Japan's spring local elections

Izumi Fusaho, an upper house member and former mayor of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture, and Hiroyuki (Nishimura Hiroyuki), founder of the internet forum 2channel, held a press conference inside the Diet on 21 October. They announced a public call for candidates for governor and municipal head races in next spring's unified local elections, Jiji Press and TBS reported. NHK said Izumi, an independent, set up a political group with Hiroyuki and plans to recruit candidates to support. [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]

Jiji Press reported that the two set up the regional party "Hiroyuki & Izumi Shinto (provisional)" in July. At the press conference they said the party would not give endorsements or recommendations. Instead, the two will support candidates individually, on condition that policies match. [ 1 ]

According to Jiji, candidates will be asked to submit a written pledge to work on "zero social insurance premiums" for children and on anti-bullying measures. Izumi stressed that the aim is "politics that keeps promises, starting from the local level". Hiroyuki said he wants to improve the economy by increasing the number of Japanese children. TBS reported the policies as lower social insurance premiums, anti-bullying measures and free menstrual products. It said Hiroyuki, asked whether he might run in the unified local elections himself, did not rule it out. [ 1 , 6 ]

Sankei Shimbun reported that the first candidate introduced was Higashikokubaru Hideo, who is running in the December Miyazaki governor's election. The project will help with street speeches, social media posts and campaign strategy. Sankei said it is volunteer work, not money for candidates, with Hiroyuki and Izumi covering costs such as website fees. Hiroyuki described it as sticking to candidates as a volunteer and cheering them on. [ 7 ]

Sankei said Higashikokubaru learned of the project from online news and contacted Izumi, whom he had known for some time. He decided to take part after confirming it was a support project and not a new party, and he plans to run as an independent. He would donate 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross if he cannot submit bills on the promised themes within one year and three months of taking office. Tokyo Shimbun ran a video whose title also mentions a 10 million yen penalty for breaking promises. [ 4 , 7 ]

Hiroyuki, who turns 50 in November and lives in France, said he had been on the side complaining that politics is not good, and now wants to find allies who can say "the country has become quite good". Izumi said the two agreed on moving beyond complaining about current politics to actually changing it. [ 7 ]