Osaka Version of Democracy

In some elementary schools in Japan, chanting during lecture and disturbing diligent classmates are recognized as an effusion of freedom of speech, which is obviously a distortion of democracy. In City of Osaka, spending ¥600 million of tax money for a meaningless mayoral election is recognized as a cost for democracy. People in Osaka, the region with the highest rate of low-income people in need of public financial support, look like generous enough to uphold such an extravagant leader.

Mayor Toru Hashimoto, co-chairman of Japan Restoration Party, took a strange strategy for maintaining his political power. He stepped down as the mayor of Osaka in February and ran again for seeking once abandoned seat. His purpose was to reconfirm support from the people and promote his favorite policy called Osaka Metropolitan Initiative, which would give Osaka a greater executive power paralleled with Tokyo.

For Hashimoto’s disappointment, voters’ turnout hit a new record of low. Three out of four turned their back to the election, in which all major parties except the Restoration refused to raise a candidate. Supporting votes for him dropped by half from three years ago when he was elected as a mayor for the first time. One vote out of ten was invalid, indicating opposition against the election with apparent result. Public apathy to city politics emerged in the conclusion.

While Hashimoto appeals the endorsement of the people on his initiative, nothing will change in terms of political environment. He does not have majority in assemblies both prefecture and city of Osaka, which is necessary for the next step. Liberal Democratic, Democrats, New Komeito and Communists established a coalition opposing Hashimoto, taking advantage of the opportunity of illegitimate election. People are getting tired of such endless struggle in local politics.

All of those came from Hashimoto’s misunderstanding of democracy. As a super-populist, he too much relies on general votes. Every time he faced political impasse with consistent opposition, Hashimoto required endorsement from the public, never trying to persuade his opponents. “Democracy is a kind of tyranny endorsed by election,” he often boasted. He needs to study a primitive principle of double representation, in which governor and congress are in check and balance.

Hashimoto said that he would have another election this year, if his initiative would face another dead end. People in Osaka will have to pay another toll of it. This will be a consequence stemmed from having fun with embracing empty promise of a naïve young political leader.