The April local elections have clearly shown problems of the Japanese society. One is an excessive concentration to Tokyo, the second is spreading poverty and uneasiness and the third is a fact that progressive political forces cannot present concrete steps to the public to overcome the difficulties. Consequently, the turnout rates in the elections were low, which helped the arrogant governing parties.

LOW VOTING RATES REFLECT POLITICAL ALIENATION OF PEOPLE

Concentration to Tokyo

A contentious point in the elections held in the 23 special districts of Metropolitan Tokyo is extraordinary amounts of financial balances pertaining to the administrative entities. Rich resources are not spent to improve livelihood of residents, thus a tremendous sum of funds are left intact in the general accounts.

Meanwhile, elections in Osaka have shown strong political impacts produced by a political party, the Osaka Ishin-no-kai. In all of the election districts the said party gained overwhelming victory. Voters worry about, primarily, local economy in Osaka, which is left behind, and they hoped it should be boosted.

Historically, Osaka used to be a commercial center, but today it has been deserted. The rate of beneficiaries to the residents of the Life Protection Service is the highest among the 46 prefectures in the country, recording 3.31%, which is ten times bigger than the lowest rate that Toyama Prefecture has. Look at the city of Osaka. It is worse, being 5.34%. As for the rates of unemployment and irregular workers, Osaka has the worst records. Thus, the Osaka Ishin-no-kai has grabbed minds of voters through their rhetoric; a hope for growth and development is restructuring of the Osaka’s administrative management and slashing public workers.

Now let’s look at Hokkaido. The prefecture, too, has unfortunate records in the number of beneficiaries of life protection service and irregular workers. Two candidates contested in the governorship election, a ruling and opposition ones, which was the sole rivalry race in the country. A young ruling candidate in his thirties, former Mayor of Yubari City, has won. He has known for his active commitments to revive the bankrupted city. Local voters might see a glimpse of hope in his achievements for local economy.

Voters change politics

In Tokyo’s 23 special districts, either, a hope could not be seen clearly. Other regions that are abandoned suffer from graver situation. These phenomena are consequences as the financial group has taken initiative in politics to meet their demands. Today unity as a nation has been eroded.

Voters, however, did not show much pride. The lowest turnout rates were further deteriorated. If a society expects to see a hero, it will see disasters. Despite the fact voters still firmly believe that politics is to be engaged in by someone else.

The support rate of the Abe government is of a passive nature; no other choice is available. Japanese voters are not yet mature enough to react to a rule that voters change politics through active participation.

Sympathy toward opposition parties

Who is to blame? The opposition forces, too, a side to change politics. They owe partial responsibility. Do they regard irregular, uncertain employment and deterioration of public services as their own issues? Don’t they cope with social problems just by employing effective steps, believing that they themselves are outside of the living conditions of people? Sympathy could not be gained from workers and citizens who live in agony, if the opposition forces behave aloof from them.

Under ordinary circumstances municipal elections are the closest political stage to people, but voting rates are the lowest. Some voters are interested in the state’s level politics, but they are not so in the local administrations and assemblies. Local assemblies, in particular, are not influential enough.

This reality must be changed. It is a municipality that sets amounts of payments for childcare, the elderly care, medical and other services, including welfare.

Political posture of the New Socialist Party

Could members of the New Socialist Party rightly respond to problems and present concrete policies to settle them? In order to be successful we should have a habit to work together on the daily basis with citizens in the social movements. In the recent elections we could gain good results, but for the next round of elections, we should be more prepared.

May 14, 2019