PM Taro Aso’s Puppet and Japan Politics!

August 26, 2009 by Toonleap
Filed under Japan, News

The fight for Japan’s elections are heating up and this time, the Puppets do the talking. Reuters have an interesting report about Finger-puppets featuring Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama that entertains local voters ahead of Japan’s August 30 elections.

On a stage in Tokyo, tiny little finger dolls of Prime Minister Taro Aso and opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama trade punches for the PM’s seat in Japan’s general election.

At the “Lucky Laugh Theatre”, puppet master and craftsman Mitsuaki Tsuyuki is milking the heated campaign election for extra laughs and offering locals a fresh look at the political debate.

At $5 per show, patrons such as 63-year-old Sayako Suzuki are enjoying the stage battle.

[Sayako Suzuki, Show Attendee]:
“The leaders are indeed fighting fiercely at this point in time, both here and there.”

Toru Yahagi said he thought the show was pretty realistic and comical.

[Toru Yahagi, Show Attendee]:
“They are actually scrambling for the chairs in the parliament like the puppets fight for a toy chair here.”

Tsuyuki has handcrafted five politicians– his first was popular former Prime Minister Koizumi five years ago.

Tsuyuki says he originally had no intention of starting a collection, but Japan’s volatile political situation has kept him busy.

[Mitsuaki Tsuyuki, Puppet Craftsman]:
“I first handcrafted Koizumi and was going to add new ones whenever a new Prime Minister came along. But they replaced their leader every year, and I got tired of making new ones. I may quit adding to my collection.”

A likely opposition victory in the national election on August 30 would end more than five decades of almost continuous rule by the LDP.

And Tsuyuki says after all the political turmoil, the Hatoyama puppet will probably be his last.

Sources: Reuters / New Tang Dynasty TV