Voters have been put off by frequent scandals, from petty corruption to sexual harassment
, Noriko Suematsu three times chants her victory cry: “Banzai!” She has just won a third consecutive term as mayor of the city of Suzuka in Mie, a prefecture in central Honshu, Japan’s main island. To pose for the cameras recording her triumph, she is given a lobster and a red sea-bream—auspicious celebratory props often used by politicians. This time is different from her two previous wins. “It was my first time winning the race uncontested,” she confesses. “It felt strange.
At the same time, interest in local elections is sagging. In the 1950s more than four-fifths of the electorate would vote in local races. But in April turnout sank to record lows, under 50%. . Moreover, “people don’t understand what these local lawmakers do,” says Ken Victor Leonard Hijino of Kyoto University.
Young people are loth to stand because local politics is not a financially rewarding profession. The law bans assembly members from holding other jobs concurrently. Their pay averages around ¥300,000 a month, hardly enough to support young families. “It’s basically a job for the retired,” sniffs Mr Uno. And for little pay, the workload is onerous.
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