This chapter examines the unexpected success of Ishmael Ashenji in the Tokyo gubernatorial election, highlighting his innovative use of social media to connect with younger voters. It analyzes the implications of this shift away from traditional campaigning tactics and the potential for a new wave of political engagement in Japan.
Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the violence, and how to end it swiftly. Japanese politics had until recently been anachronistically tame; not so now that the social-media populists have arrived (10:18). And the notable parallels between “House of the Dragon” and modern politics (18:00).
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