Class presentation: Election campaign and Shinjuku Ni-chōme

Class presentation for April 10, 2007

The Tokyo Gubernatorial Election Campaign and Shinjuku Ni-chōme

-Tomoko Seto

The voting day for the Tokyo Gubernatorial Election was on April 8, 2007, and the incumbent, Ishihara Shintarō, was elected for his third term, with his votes far outnumbering those of others (Tokyo Shimbun, April 9, 2007). Recently, there has been a significant backlash from “Shinjuku Ni-chōme,” the world famous LGBT district in Tokyo, against Ishihara, who has been campaigning to host the 2016 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Presumably intending to “beautify” Tokyo landscape for the Olympic, the conservative Tokyo Governor commented last year that he would “regulate” the landscape of Shinjuku Ni-chōme with a local ordinance (条例). Although he did not specify the detail of the “regulation,” his comment triggered a strong anti-Ishihara sentiment among Ni-chōme localities. During the Gubernatorial Election campaign, many of them began supporting Ishihara’s opponent Asano Shirō, a college professor and former Governor of Miyagi prefecture. Although Asano could not win, his overt sympathy for sexual minorities during the campaign helped further strengthen anti-Ishihara sentiment and politicization among the Ni-chōme LGBT community. The Ni-chōme “regulation” became more realistic because of Ishihara’s victory, yet the visible reaction from Ni-chōme localities and their supporters during the Gubernatorial Election can be viewed as a starting point of their activism to protect their community.

Last September, Ishihara greatly upset the Ni-chōme community when he publicly criticized Ni-chōme’s landscape, saying it “can hardly be considered as a beautiful site” (「美観とはいえない」) in the context of proposed hosting of the 2016 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and clearly stated that he would regulate the town’s landscape by an ordinance. For a long time, Ishihara has been known for his outright homophobic attitude, seen in his publicly made comments such as, “I will destroy Ni-chōme” (「二丁目をつぶす」), and “I hate sea slug and fag” (「ナマコとオカマは嫌い」) (Gay Japan News, March 20, 27, 2007). Over the past few years, landscape of nearby Kabuki chō, another amusement districts, drastically changed because of police crackdown of sexually oriented businesses. Some called this as “Cleansing Campaign by Ishihara” (石原浄化作戦).1 Some Ni-chōme localities thus fear a similar campaign will be launched in Ni-chōme, although the metropolitan government has not stated any concrete plan to “regulate” Ni-chōme yet.

In reaction to Ishihara’s comment, leaders of the Ni-chōme LGBT community have expressed a sense of crisis and a strong objection to Ishihara. Many owners of gay bars are alarmed because they fear the “regulation” will damage their businesses as well as community. Fukushima Mitsuo, an owner of a gay bar in Ni-chōme and the president of the Society to Save Shinjuku Ni-chōme (新宿二丁目を守る会), considers Ishihara’s intention to regulate Ni-chōme as discrimination against sexual minorities (GJN, March 20). Fukushima also worries, “If opening hours will be regulated, some bars will not be able to survive. Ni-chōme is the world’s largest gay town. For gay people, this is not just an amusement district but also a community that is the ‘last line of defense,’ and I wish Mr. Ishihara will keep this in mind.” One of the co-representatives of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gay Forum, a networking group for LGBT community in Tokyo, also emphasizes, “By discussing with experts on laws and urban planning and by cooperating with the local community, we must seriously consider how to save Ni-chōme and resist. Otherwise, it is even possible that we will end up just giving in” (Ibid). Such a sense of threatened survival of the community led to the support campaign for Asano.

On March 31, Asano showed up in Shinjuku Ni-chōme to give a speech at a the event, “Saturday Night, Something will Change: To Save Ni-chōme!” (「土曜の夜、何かが変わる～二丁目を守るために！」), sponsored by Fukushima’s group. To see the Governor candidate’s rare appearance in Ni-chōme, approximately 500 people gathered (GJN, March 31). Participants included local politicians from LGBT community: Ishizaka Wataru, a gay candidate of Tokyo Nakano Ward Assembly; Kamikawa Aya, a transgender Tokyo Satagaya Ward Assembly Member;2 Otsuji Kanako, a lesbian Osaka Prefectural Assembly Member. According to Otsuji’s blog, Asano had previously made comments criticizing prejudice and discrimination against gay people and accepting diverse lifestyle in his campaign speech. Otsuji wrote: “I was surprised because a candidate for the Tokyo Governor openly talked about homosexuality. I became firmly aware that the time is truly changing.”

In the Ni-chōme event, Asano showed overt understanding toward problems and affliction among sexual minorities. Asano suggested the possibility for his participation in the Pride Parade if he would be elected the Governor (Ibid). Referring to the Rainbow Festival in Ni-chōme, Asano also said, “Sense of being alone and feeling isolated seems to be the cause of the affliction (held among sexual minorities). However, I think it is important to recognize that they are not alone by meeting many other people (at an event such as the Rainbow Festival).” To the question from Esmeralda, who presided the event, “In case of being elected the Governor, would you consider sexual minorities when making policy decisions?” Asano clarified his view that he should not interfere as long as they [sexual minorities] are not nuisance, and would make policy decisions based on that view.

Criticism against Ishihara’s discriminatory attitude has politicized the Ni-chōme community and led to the collective support for his opponent during the election. The Ni-chōme community merged with other supporters of Asano and their efforts helped shape a large-scale coalition of anti-Ishihara campaign. Known proponents of Asano outside Ni-chōme include feminist activists, journalists and scholars. Perhaps because of Ishihara’s continuing general popularity and partly because of insufficient election-preparation period for Asano, the election resulted in Ishihara’s third term. For the Ni-chōme localities, however, the struggle to protect their community has just started, and it will be important for them to maintain their connection to other anti-Ishihara elements to collectively fight against his plan to “regulate” Ni-chōme. One hope may be that Ishihara’s opponents who emerged in this election campaign include those who have a means of publicity as journalists, celebrities, and intellectuals. Through them, together with a few local politicians representing the LGBT community, protest against the “regulation” on Ni-chōme can possibly be linked to a larger anti-Ishihara force at the national level, not limited to the LGBT community. This may be one strategy, among others, to protect Ni-chōme, one significantly vibrant part of Tokyo culture.

Appendix:

Tokyo Gubernatorial Election April 8, 2007: Voter turnout: 54.35% (last year 44.94%)

Ishihara Shintarō 2,811,486

Asano Shirō 1,693,323

Yoshida Manzō 623,549

 |

Toyama Kōichi 15,059

(Tokyo Shinbun, April 9, 2007)

Notes:

1. Gay Japan News March 20, 2007. Ishihara’s reform plans include large-scale urban redevelopment, budget cut for social welfare, and partial civilian use of U.S. Air base in Tokyo. For policies of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, see http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/PROFILE/policy01.htm  Ishihara also advocates de facto mandatory singing of the national anthem and raising of the national flag in public school ceremony, which has resulted in many opposing teachers being penalized.

2. After the election, Kamikawa wrote in her blog, “It is ironic that Ishihara, whose extremely provocative remarks have repeatedly upset surrounding countries, is willing to host ‘Festival of Peace [the Olympics],’ which requires other countries’ cooperation.” http://ah-yeah.com/blog/

Reference:

Newspapers

Gay Japan News

March 20 2007  http://www.gayjapannews.com/news2007/news43.htm

March 27, 2007  http://www.gayjapannews.com/info/20070327governer.htm 

March 31, 2007 http://www.gayjapannews.com/news2007/news49.htm

Tokyo Shinbun, April 9, 2007 http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/tokyo/20070409/CK2007040902007259.html

Official sites:

Asano Shirō, Asano Shirō WEB Saito “Yumerain” http://www.asanoshiro.org/katteren/index.htm

Kamikawa Aya, Ayaryu ichigoichie nikki, http://ah-yeah.com/blog/

Otsuji Kanako, Otsuji Kanako katsudō nikki http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/otsuji/2007-03-28

Tokyo Metropolitan Gay Forum http://www.geocities.jp/tmgf2001jp/default.htm

Tokyo Metropolitan Government http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/index.htm