It’s election season in Japan, and the election campaign works a little differently than in other countries. Strolling through the city, passers-by will find election posters where candidates of all parties can place their individual posters, and they will also see (and hear) trucks and vans with loudspeakers mounted on them, slowly cruising through residential neighborhoods while honking the promises of their candidates.
However, what is not generally seen is that celebrities support politicians who stand for election. Whether it’s because of the general preference in Japan to keep entertainment and politics separate or because Japanese society does not give as much importance to the personal opinions of actors and musicians in matters of governmentwhen the candidates leave the campaign, they are not usually accompanied by any star from the entertainment world.
So last week it was even stranger that Saeko Umemura, who is running for election to Japan’s House of Representatives, was seen giving a speech outside Tokorozawa Station in Saitama Prefecture and her entourage. would include the Pokémon Pikachu.
What makes the scene especially surreal is that Umemura is a member of the Japanese Communist Party, while Pikachu is the face of one of the most profitable private companies on the planet. However, it won’t take long for fans to realize that the Pokémon featured alongside Umemura is not an officially licensed Pikachu costume, but rather a knockoff.
However, it is clear that Umemura wanted bystanders to think that he has Pikachu’s support in his political ambitions, and the reactions of Japanese Pokémon fans on Twitter have not accepted the political pressure, with comments such as: “Prepare for the wrath of the Pokémon Company and Nintendo»; «Hello, Nintendo legal department?»; «Even if it’s an imitation of the Pikachu costume, I shouldn’t do that»; «I can’t believe someone with so little common sense is running for parliament».
Fuente: @umemura_saeko en Twitter via SoraNews24
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