※Translated with Notion AI. (Plus version)
【Tokyo Governor Election Announcement: A Record 56 Candidates】
Is it getting heated up? As a Brit, I’m not quite sure.
The political speeches have started, and as part of my Japanese language study,
I’m listening to the broadcasts of all the candidates.
There are some candidates who speak complex Japanese, but there are also candidates who give speeches that are understandable at my Japanese level.
Once again, I realized that to convey a message, “tone of voice,” “speaking speed,” “use of simple words,” and “repetition of points you want to emphasize” are important.
It’s hard to fully understand the purpose of each of the 56 candidates, but I was able to find commonalities while listening to the eccentric candidates’ political speeches.
It seems that their purpose is to incorporate humor and satire into the election and enjoy the campaign. However, there are also candidates whose main purpose is not just self-promotion, but to express criticism and satire of the electoral process.
When I told my secretary that I was recording all the candidates’ political broadcasts and taking notes on each person’s speech, she was half amazed and half laughed, saying, “There’s no one like that among Tokyo residents.”
It’s not often reported in Japan, but even in serious-looking British elections, there are eccentric candidates.
I’ll introduce a few. I hope it will be a pleasant distraction for your Sunday.
