Japan's political parties are scrambling for ways to capitalize on social media ahead of next summer's election for the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, wondering how they can help their content go viral while avoiding a lean toward populism.
In elections in 2024, social media proved to be a powerful campaign tool.
Independent rookie Shinji Ishimaru, former Akitakata mayor, garnered the second-most votes in the Tokyo gubernatorial election in July thanks to his successful online strategy. In the snap House of Representatives election in October, the small opposition Democratic Party for the People (DPP) quadrupled its seats to hold the balance of power in the all-important Lower House. Motohiko Saito, who had lost his job as Hyogo governor over power harassment allegations, was re-elected in November after social media posts calling for his comeback surged.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.