Under a recent revision of the Public Offices Election Law, candidates running for leadership posts in local government can print their election "manifestos" with public money and distribute copies during the campaign period. For Diet elections, the distribution of printed manifestos has been allowed since the 2003 Lower House elections. It is hoped that enabling candidates in gubernatorial and mayoral elections to prepare detailed policy proposals will rouse more voter interest.
The introduction of manifestos is expected to encourage candidates to work harder to write feasible and attractive policy proposals as a means of attracting votes. If so, the practice of soliciting votes directly from leaders and members of various organizations, including industrial associations and labor unions, could become a thing of the past.
Local election manifestos are to be distributed starting with campaigns for gubernatorial and mayoral elections set for April. Probably the first manifestos will appear March 22 when gubernatorial election campaigns in Tokyo and 12 other prefectures are kicked off.