In the days ahead, if you wake up hearing someone's name shouted over and over again through a bullhorn mounted on a van, you'll know your local election campaign has gotten under way. </PARAGRAPH>
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<TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Former Mie Gov. Masayasu Kitagawa gestures as Yamagata Gov. Hiroshi Saito –
and Yoshito Hori, head
of the Globis Group, look on at a March 2 event in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward promoting use of platforms known
as manifestos in politics.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WASEDA UNIVERSITY
In politics Japan style, white-gloved candidates clutch clusters of microphones and try loudly to imprint their names and faces, instead of policies, on voters' minds. Until now, they have spent lots of time bowing, shaking hands and shouting their names -- and giving short shrift to the issues.
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