Internet For Campaign in Japan

Seiji Ohsaka, a member of Japan parlement member from oposition side, feel disappointed when known taht he must stop posting in social networking Twitter when he make official campaign starting on August 18. Japan Election regulation in 1950 forbiden the candidate to update their pages, send electronic mail, or use social networking. That regulation, no attention from elector and most of them prefer to old campaign style, makes cyber politic not really popular in Japan. This condition contrast with 70 percent of Japan citizen who known internet. Survey by Tetsuro Inaba from Hitotsubashi University found that only 22 percent Japan elector received information by online in 2005 election. “Internet must use for campaign. That is impossible to say No Use Internet,” Ohsaka says. Face the reality, Democrat Party of Japan (DPJ) was declared to erase this internet for campaign forbiden in their program. Parties make connection with people by internet, So for that, they can use many methods and internet play big rules,” says Etsushi Tanofuji, Waseda University lecture. Analist said that politician from authority party, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), feels no comfortable with reformation like that. “When they interest face with the new type media, they feel treated and hard for them to give green light,” says Yoshikazu Iwabuchi, lecture at Nihon University. Because politic outside campaign schedule is permited, blog politician owner and video from ministers in YouTube become usual to find it. DPJ politician broadcasted online pers conversion and downloadable games.