Key Facts
• On January 1, Shun Otokita, former policy chief and ex-upper house member of Japan Innovation Party, streamed live on YouTube.
• Former Hiroshima Akitakata City Mayor Shinji Ishimaru issued a “declaration of war” on December 31 via Otokita’s YouTube channel.
• Ishimaru warned Otokita: “If you return to Ishin and run in elections, I will never forgive you.”
• Otokita acknowledged Ishimaru’s advice as coming from love.
• Otokita expressed his true desire to run under Ishin, affirming “There is no lack of love for Ishin.”
• Otokita criticized Ishin’s alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), calling it undesirable.
• Otokita’s motivation stems from wanting to change LDP politics, admiring Ishin’s success in Osaka’s regime change.
• He expressed mixed feelings about Ishin’s cooperation with LDP, wishing it had not happened and feeling unsettled about it.
Summary
Shun Otokita, former policy chief and ex-upper house member of the Japan Innovation Party, addressed a direct challenge from Shinji Ishimaru, former mayor of Hiroshima’s Akitakata City, during a January 1 YouTube live stream. Ishimaru had declared on December 31 that he would never forgive Otokita if he returned to Ishin and ran in elections. Otokita responded by recognizing Ishimaru’s warning as motivated by love and reaffirmed his own desire to run under Ishin, emphasizing his affection for the party. However, Otokita expressed strong disapproval of Ishin’s alliance with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which conflicts with his goal to reform LDP politics. He admires Ishin’s role in Osaka’s political shift but remains conflicted about its current cooperation with LDP, wishing it had not occurred and feeling uneasy about the situation.
