Despite Exposing Tokyo Government Misconduct, Himasora Akane's Candidacy for Governor Shunned by Media and Government - 2

1. Events Before Candidacy for Tokyo Governor

Just five days before the scheduled release of Mr. Himasora's book by KADOKAWA on February 21, a threat was received on February 16, stating, "If you sell Himasora Akane's book, I will cause an incident like the Kyoto Animation arson." Consequently, Animate, a subsidiary operating retail stores, was forced to cancel the book's distribution.
 
On the same day, February 16, the Mainichi Shimbun published an article titled, ‘Suspect 'Himasora Akane' accused of 'Colabo' defamation will be sent to prosecutors,'' along with a photo of a police car with its red siren blaring. The Mainichi Shimbun was criticized for making impression as if Mr Himasora was taken by the police car in that article in an attempt to manipulate the public's perception of Mr. Himasora.
 
Mr. Himasora is known for his sharp intuition and ability to detect lies. He recoginise it himself and makes a joke that the trait has hindered his romantic relationships.
 
He is uncompromising in his efforts to expose falsehoods, whether it be against public figures, organizations, or the media. As a result, he has become unpopular among people who want to hide something and among the media who want to manipulate information, and the media is currently reporting negatively or ignoring him.
 
 
Due to receiving death threats, Mr. Himasora has at times required police protection. Concerned for his safety, he has refrained from appearing in the media. In Japan, there have been cases where politicians and authors investigating government and bureaucratic corruption have been murdered.
 
Despite these threats, Himasora has vowed to put his face out there if he is elected governor of Tokyo, demonstrating his determination to run even if it means risking his life.

Other Candidates for Tokyo Governor
 
The leading candidate is the current governor, Yuriko Koike. Another strong contender is Renho, who changed her citizenship from China (taiwan) to Japan. For this election, she left the Constitutional Democratic Party, where she had long been a member, and accept support from the Communist Party.
 

Shinji Ishimaru

Shinji Ishimaru has garnered attention for his controversial tenure as mayor of Akitakata City, Hiroshima. From the outset, he clashed with other council members, creating irreconcilable differences and rendering the city council ineffective as a forum for consensus-building. His aggressive approach plunged the small city of approximately 26,000 residents into chaos. Curiously, a significant number of YouTube videos surfaced supporting him, leading local residents to dub him more of a YouTuber than a mayor.

Additionally, Mr. Ishimaru faced legal issues when a printing company sued him for unpaid campaign poster fees. The Hiroshima High Court ruled against him, ordering the payment of the outstanding balance. In a subsequent press conference, Mr. Ishimaru made light of the situation, suggesting the scenario was "interesting," as if it were someone else's problem.

Mr. Ishimaru's campaign slogan for the Tokyo gubernatorial race is "Let's Move Tokyo," with pledges centred on "Political Reconstruction," "Urban Development," and "Industry Creation." For "Political Reconstruction," he aims to engage citizens in politics by leveraging AI to efficiently gather public opinion and break away from interest-based politics. His "Urban Development" promises to prioritise addressing disaster risks, while his "Industry Creation" focuses on expanding services for inbound tourism and other external demands.

Despite scepticism about his qualifications and track record, the media has given Mr. Ishimaru significant coverage, positioning him as a serious contender against Ms. Koike and Ms. Renho.

Meanwhile, the media continues to ignore Himasora. One of the YouTube channels, Rehack, and the Tokyo Junior Chamber of Commerce and Industry planned a political broadcast. Mr. Ishimaru was invited as a participant, but Mr. Himasora was excluded.

Mr. Himasora has pointed out that many of Mr. Ishimaru's online supporters appear to be bots from China and South Korea. It is important to note that the viewership of Mr. Ishimaru's YouTube videos and the impression of his posts on X exceed those of top influencers, and are unusually high compared to the support videos and posts for Ms. Koike and Ms. Renho.

While Mr. Ishimaru has pledged to eradicate political corruption, he has remained silent on the issue of Tokyo's public funds. Regarding the outstanding debts he left behind in Akitakata City, he deflected responsibility by claiming that the city's issues were the voters' responsibility for electing him and other city council members.