Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2013 June 12 - 18 [ELECTION]

Fewer people support JRP, especially in Osaka

Since Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru, who co-heads the Japan Restoration Party, provoked harsh criticism by saying that the wartime comfort women system was “necessary”, the approval rating for the JRP has decreased substantially, especially in Hashimoto’s hometown Osaka.

A survey result released by the Asahi Shimbun on June 11 indicated that 5% of the respondents answered that they will vote for the JRP in the upcoming Upper House election in July, down from 7% in the previous survey last month.

Another opinion poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun showed that the JRP will likely obtain 5% of votes in the Kinki region in the July election. The ratio was halved from 16% in January to 8% in May and fell to 5% this month. The Yomiuri pointed out that “women voters are distancing themselves from the JRP due to Hashimoto’s remark about comfort women.”

In April, the JRP suffered crushing defeats in mayoral elections in Itami and Takarazuka cities in Osaka’s neighboring prefecture of Hyogo. It decided to not run a party candidate for the Hyogo gubernatorial election slated for July 21. In addition, it is reported that a JRP member of the Osaka City Assembly plans to leave the party.

The JRP held its supporters’ meeting on June 8 in Osaka City, but the venue with 160 seats was far from full. JRP Secretary General Matsui Ichiro, who also serves as the Osaka governor, opened his speech by saying, “The JRP is running against a strong headwind.”

Related past article
> JCP Ichida criticizes Hashimoto’s offer to host Osprey training [June 4, 2013]