Voters in Japan's Oct. 27 House of Representatives election were harshly critical of candidates involved in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s slush fund scandal, with many protesting murky money in politics by voting for other candidates. The Mainichi Shimbun analyzed how the scandal affected the race by interviewing voters at polling stations across the country.

In the Fukui No. 2 district, where Tsuyoshi Takagi, 68, who was not officially endorsed by the LDP, stood as a candidate, an 89-year-old woman from the city of Echizen said, "The slush fund scandal was the biggest issue for me. I felt Takagi hadn't explained it properly, and I absolutely didn't want to vote for him this time." Instead, she cast her vote for a candidate from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), whom a friend had recommended and who "seemed committed to working hard in politics." She added with anger, "I hope Takagi retires for good."

A 30-year-old company employee in the Aichi No. 3 district, who lives in the city of Nagoya's Midori Ward, similarly told the Mainichi Shimbun that the slush fund scandal "weighed considerably" when voting. While she voted for an LDP candidate in the prior general election, this time she "chose a party that has properly pursued the slush fund issue," and voted for a CDP candidate in her single-seat constituency and for the Japanese Communist Party in the proportional representation bloc.

A 55-year-old piano teacher from the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Koga, who voted in the Fukuoka No. 4 district, said, "The slush fund scandal was significant for me." Although she previously voted for an LDP candidate, this time she voted for a contender from the Democratic Party for the People, considering their stance in favor of selective surname options for married couples and social security issues.

Some voters split their ballots between opposition and ruling parties. A 62-year-old university lecturer from Tokyo's Katsushika Ward voted for Katsuei Hirasawa, 79, who lost LDP endorsement in Tokyo's No. 17 district, while casting her proportional representation vote for the CDP. She said, "I wanted to give Hirasawa a chance to rebuild himself, but I felt a strong need to teach the LDP a lesson with my proportional vote."

Slush fund scandal not significant for some voters

Meanwhile, some voters did not consider the slush fund scandal in their decision. A 34-year-old company worker from Tokyo's Shibuya Ward who voted in Tokyo's No. 7 district stated, "While the scandal somewhat concerned me, I didn't feel inclined to actively support any other party." He voted for the LDP candidate as he did in the previous election, saying he has high hopes for the government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

A 66-year-old administrative scrivener from the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Yukuhashi voted for the LDP's Ryota Takeda, 56, in the prefecture's No. 11 district, as he did in the 2021 election. Takeda lost his party's dual candidacy in the single-seat constituency and proportional representation bloc after failing to report fundraising income. The voter said, "I prioritized what the candidate could do for our community." A 39-year-old company employee from the Osaka Prefecture city of Izumisano in the prefecture's No. 19 district also voted for the same LDP candidate as last time, saying, "I didn't particularly consider the slush fund issue. The candidate seemed the best choice among the options."

(Mainichi)