Affluent Tokyo Suburb Shows Why Japan’s Opposition Can’t Keep Up
Many voters have bad memories of the last time they took power
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past candidate posters in Osaka on Oct. 19.
Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
The trendy suburb of Kichijoji, often ranked as one of Tokyo’s most desirable places to live, seems like it should be an easy win for Japan’s main left-leaning opposition party.
The heavily populated area had been a part of a stronghold district for the Constitutional Democratic Party’s predecessor, its relatively youthful population far removed from the rural regions that have long backed the more conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Moreover, the CDP’s candidate is Naoto Kan, a former prime minister with lots of name recognition.