The alleged Twitter account itself: https://twitter.com/hisenkyoken
[Twitter thread about this \(English summary/analysis\)](https://twitter.com/mrjeffu/status/1648205359868411905)
[2nd Twitter thread about this \(English summary/analysis\)](https://twitter.com/mrjeffu/status/1648128609838837761)
Some quotes from the above summary/analysis:
> From the alleged Twitter account of the man arrested for Saturday’s pipe bomb attack on Prime Minister Kishida: Japan’s election laws prevent ordinary citizens from running for office. Only hereditary politicians and “dogs” who obey political parties can be candidates.
> The account promotes the electoral reform lawsuit that the suspect filed in 2022. It attacks election laws that don’t allow legal adults to run for office until they are 25 or 30, and require deposits of up to 3 million yen just to be a candidate (no refund for most losers).
…
> We know from mainstream media coverage that suspect Kimura Ryuji filed just such a lawsuit in June 2022 and used similar arguments in court. The dates match. The twitter account also shared a photo proving involvement in the lawsuit.
…
> Just a few days before the bomb attack, the account called Japan a “democracy-style tyrannical state” that favors religious voter blocs and organized votes over the votes of normal people. Politics are carried out for the same of a few, producing a cycle of nepotism/corruption.
> In March the account reported on the progress of the lawsuit in the Osaka High Court, strongly disagreeing with the state’s argument that 3 million yen deposits for candidates and age requirements did not violate the principle of normal elections/universal suffrage.
> From August 2022: “Even if you quit your job at 25 or 30 to run for office and have 3 million yen to pay the deposit, you will be fighting against existing politicians backed by religious organizations with voter blocs and free election volunteers…”
…
> Repeating its criticism of the unfair election laws in Japan, it noted that Kishida is a 3rd generation heir to a political dynasty. It argued that democracy was collapsing because ordinary people could not run for office in this system.
…
> August 29, 2022: in response to news about Kishida aiming to increase the number of international students in Japan, the account wrote that “Politicians who favor foreigners over their own nation’s people are traitors,” who would be voted out if Japan had fair elections.
Some Japanese commentators have pointed out that the [above quote](https://twitter.com/hisenkyoken/status/1564420152422043648) by Kimura essentially calling Kishida a traitor for favoring foreigners over Japanese nationals is a common ネトウヨ / Japanese online right-winger talking point, which might indicate something about where Kimura stands on the political spectrum.
[Jeffrey J. Hall’s Twitter](https://twitter.com/mrjeffu) has some more posts on this subject.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/12qfplv/alleged_twitter_account_for_pipe_bomb_assailant/
4 comments
I’m yet to experience this so-called favoritism as a “foreigner” living in Japan, that these right-wingers constantly yap about. Just the other day, I was fortunate to buy toilet paper at the konbini. In the mind of a right winger, that’s probably due to my gaijin favoritism.
Ignoring the thing about foreigners, his analysis about democracy and dynasties is not wrong.
>the account wrote that “Politicians who favor foreigners over their own nation’s people are traitors,” who would be voted out if Japan had fair elections.
I mean I obviously don’t agree with the above quote but everything else… it is not totally without merit.
Especially the fact that you need to pay 3M¥ (around £18,000) just to run which I did not know and is insane compared to the UK which is £500. You only get a refund if you earn 10% of the vote in your constituency in Japan, compared to 5% in the UK, which is unreasonable for minority candidates.
It makes the last quote all the more baffling. Surely he can see there is a big difference between more foreign students and more foreign immigrants, right?
An angry young man with legit concerns about Japan’s weak democracy being lured into right wing conspiracy BS.