日本維新の会 - Japan Restoration Party

I think this will be the last of the political posters here for a while. One of the unfortunate aspects of the recent election was not only Japan's sharp swing to the right with Shinzo Abe's election victory, but also the emergence of a new right-wing, nationalist party. It now has 54 seats in the lower house, and three members in the upper house. Here's one of their main men, former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara.

The name of the party is 日本維新の会 - Nihon Ishin no Kai - Japan Restoration Party. The slogan on the poster reads 日本を変えよう！- Nihon wo kaeyou! - Japan will change!

日本 - Japan (see also 日本の彩 - The Colours of Japan & 日本共産党 - The Japanese Communist Party)

日 - ニチ, ジツ, ひ, ・か
sun, day
Henshall: 62

本 - ホン, もと
book, origin, true, main
Henshall: 70

維新 - いしん - restoration; reformation; revolution

維 - イ
fasten, rope, support
Henshall: 1007

新 - シン, あたら.しい, あら.た
new
Henshall: 148

会 - カイ, エ, あ.う, あ.わせる
meet; party; association;
Henshall: 87

変 - ヘン, か.わる, か.える
unusual; change; strange
Henshall: 581

See also:

日本を取り戻す - Take back Japan.

日本共産党 - The Japanese Communist Party

自民党 - The Liberal Democratic Party

民主党 - The Democratic Party of Japan

日本を取り戻す - Take back Japan.

Here's another Liberal Democrat poster. This one features the new/old Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (top). A belligerent, right-winger and prone to historical revisionism, for all his tough talk, the last time he was Prime Minister he didn't quite last a year before quitting on the grounds of "ill-health".

The slogan reads 日本を取り戻す - Nihon wo torimodosu - "take back Japan".

日本 - Japan (see also 日本の彩 - The Colours of Japan & 日本共産党 - The Japanese Communist Party)

日 - ニチ, ジツ, ひ, ・か
sun, day
Henshall: 62

本 - ホン, もと
book, origin, true, main
Henshall: 70 

取り戻す- とりもどす - to take back; to regain; to get back; to recover

取 - シュ, と.る, と.り
take; fetch; take up
Henshall: 301

戻 - レイ, もど.す, もど.る
re-; return; revert; resume; restore; go backwards
Henshall: 1920

See also:

日本共産党 - The Japanese Communist Party

自民党 - The Liberal Democratic Party

民主党 - The Democratic Party of Japan

 

日本共産党 - The Japanese Communist Party

Here's the Japanese Communist Party campaigning on the streets of Kyoto. Kyoto has a long tradition of left-wing radical thinking, so the Communist Party actually has a fairly strong following here.

日本共産党 - Nihon Kyousantou -　The Japanese Communist Party

日本 - Japan (see also 日本の彩 - The Colours of Japan)

日 - ニチ, ジツ, ひ, ・か
sun, day
Henshall: 62

本 - ホン, もと
book, origin, true, main
Henshall: 70
共産 - きょうさん - communism

共 - キョウ, とも, とも.に, -ども  
together; both; neither; all; and; alike; with
Henshall: 460

産 - サン, う.む, う.まれる, うぶ-, む.す  
products; bear; give birth; yield; childbirth; native; property
Henshall: 491

党 - トウ
(political) party, faction, clique
Henshall: 946

Here's a poster with the party leader, Kazuo Shii.
 

The slogan reads 提案し、行動する - teian shi, koudou suru - suggest and act.

提案する - ていあんする - propose, suggest

提 - テイ, チョウ, ダイ, さ.げる 
propose; take along; carry in hand
Henshall: 753

案 - アン, つくえ  
plan; suggestion; draft; ponder; fear; proposition; idea; expectation; worry; table; bench
Henshall: 223

行動する - こうどうする - act, mobilize, do 

行 - コウ, ギョウ, アン, い.く, ゆ.く, おこな.う, おこ.なう
going; journey
Henshall: 118

動 - ドウ, うご.く, うご.かす
move; motion; change; confusion; shift; shake
Henshall: 362

Here's another:

Two messages here. The longer one reads 消費税に頼らない別の道があります - shouhizei ni tayoranai betsu no michi ga arimasu - we can't depend on the consumption tax, there is another way. The smaller message reads 増税ストップ - zouzei stoppu - stop the tax increase.

消費税　－しょうひぜい - consumption tax

消 - ショウ, き.える, け.す
extinguish; blow out; turn off; neutralize; cancel
Henshall: 316

費 - ヒ, つい.やす, つい.える
expense; cost; spend; consume; waste
Henshall: 567

税 - ゼイ
tax; duty
Henshall: 727

頼る - たよる - rely on, depend on

頼 - ライ, たの.む, たの.もしい, たよ.る
trust; request
Henshall: 1889

別 - ベツ, わか.れる, わ.ける 
separate; branch off; diverge; fork; another; extra; specially
Henshall: 579

道 - ドウ, トウ, みち
path; way; street; district; journey; course; moral; teachings
Henshall: 188

増税 - ぞうぜい - tax increase

増 - ゾウ  [訓] ま.す ま.し ふ.える ふ.やす
increase; add; augment; gain; promote
Henshall: 741

See also:

自民党 - The Liberal Democratic Party

民主党 - The Democratic Party of Japan

 

自民党 - The Liberal Democratic Party

Here's the local candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party: one Ibuki Bunmei. It looks very much like this party is due to return to power, although they will probably have to form a coalition with some of the other smaller parties.

The full name for the Liberal Democratic Party is 自由民主党 - jiyuuminshutou. You can see that written vertically in red to the left of the candidate's name. However, 自由民主党 is usually shortened to just 自民党 - jiminto - as you can see at the bottom of the poster.

自由 - じゆう - freedom, liberty

自 - ジ, シ, みずか・ら, おの・ずから,　おの・ずと
self
Henshall: 134
 
由 - ユ, ユウ, ユイ, よし, よ・る
reason, means, way
Henshall: 399

民主 - みんしゅ - democracy

民 - ミン, たみ
people, nation, subjects, folk
Henshall: 590


主 - シュ, ス, めし, おも, あるじ
lord, chief, master, main thing, principal
Henshall: 299
 
党 - トウ
(political) party, faction, clique
Henshall: 946

See also yesterday's post: 民主党 - The Democratic Party of Japan

民主党 - The Democratic Party of Japan

As the election is looming I'm going to post some local political posters. First up Yuuno Megumi of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.

The text revealing her party affiliation is in the upper right of the poster: 民主党 - minshutou - The Democratic Party.

民主 - みんしゅ - democracy

民 - ミン, たみ
people, nation, subjects, folk
Henshall: 590


主 - シュ, ス, めし, おも, あるじ
lord, chief, master, main thing, principal
Henshall: 299
 
党 - トウ
(political) party, faction, clique
Henshall: 946

Let's examine some of the other text on the poster. The red script under her chin reads 未来をつくる責任世代 - mirai wo tsukuru sekinin sedai - the generation responsible for building the future. This would be a reference to her age: 33歳 - sanjusan sai - 33 years old. Clearly they are trying to market her relative youthfulness as a plus point.

未来 - みらい - future

未 - ミ, ビ, いま・だ, ま・だ, ひつじ
not yet
Henshall: 794

来 - ライ, く・る, きた・る, きた・す
come, due, next, cause, become
Henshall: 217 

責任 - せきにん - responsibility, duty

責 - セキ, せ・める
liability, blame, condemn
Henshall: 728

任 - ニン, まか・せる, まか・す
responsibility, duty, entrust
Henshall: 764

世代 - generation, the world, the age

世 - セイ, セ, よ
generation, world, society, public
Henshall: 327  

代 - ダイ, タイ, か・わる, か・える, よ, しろ
substitute, change, generation, fee 

Henshall: 338

歳 - サイ, セイ, とし
year-end, age, occasion, opportunity
Henshall: 1294

Beneath that we have this handful: 民主党公認/衆議院議員候補

民主党公認 - minshutou kounin - authorized by the Democratic Party.


公認 - こうにん - official recognition, authorization, license, accreditation

公 - コウ, ク, おおやけ
public
Henshall: 277 

認 - ニン, みと・める, したた・める
acknowledge, witness, recognize
Henshall: 952

衆議院議員候補 - shuugiin giin kouho - candidate for member of the Lower House (House of Representatives) in the National Diet. 

衆議院 - しゅうぎいん - The House of Representatives


衆 -　シュウ, シュ, おお・い
the masses, populace, multitude
Henshall: 705

議 - ギ
deliberation, consultation, debate, consider
Henshall: 454

院 - イン
institution
Henshall: 229

議員 - ぎいん - member of the Diet

員 - イン
employee, member
Henshall: 228 

候補 - こうほ - candidate, contender

候 - コウ, そうろう
climate, season, weather
Henshall: 478

補 - ホ, おぎな・う
supplement, supply 
Henshall: 970

And then this (in the white box): 比例代表は民主党へ～ - hirei daihyou ha minshutou he - vote for the Democratic Party in the P.R. election (the "vote for" is suggested rather than stated by the へ～). The voting system here is a little complicated, but you can read more about that on Wikipedia!

比例 - ひれい - proportion

比 - ヒ, くら・べる
compare, ratio
Henshall: 771

例 - レイ, たと・える
example, custom, usage, precedent
Henshall: 605

代表 - だいひょう - representative, representation, type, example, model

代 -　see above
Henshall: 338

表 - ヒョウ, おもて, あらわ・す, あらわ・れる
surface, table, chart, diagram 
Henshall: 379

起震車 - Earthquake Simulation Vehicle

Not to make light of a serious matter, but I'd love to have a go in one of these...

Here's a close-up on the kanji:

起震車 - kishinsha - an earthquake simulation vehicle.

起 - キ, お・きる, お・こる, お・こす, おこ・す, た・つ
occur, happen, rouse, wake up, get up, cause　
Henshall: 250

震 - シン, ふる・う, ふる・える
quake, shake, tremble, quiver, shiver
Henshall: 1444
 
車 - シャ, くるま
car, vehicle
Henshall: 31

災害支援金 - Disaster Support Fund

This donation box is inside the entrance of Nishihonganji Temple in Kyoto:

東日本大震災　- higashi nihon dai shinsai - Great East Japan Earthquake

災害支援金 - saigai shien kin - Disaster Support Fund

東 - トウ, ひがし
east
Henshall: 184

日本 - にほん - Japan

日 - ニチ, ジツ, ひ, -か
day, sun
Henshall: 62

本 - ホン, もと
root, origin, book, main, true
Henshall: 70

大 - タイ, ダイ, おお・きい, おお・いに
large, big
Henshall: 53

震災 - しんさい - earthquake disaster

震 - シン, ふる・う, ふる・える
shake, tremble
Henshall: 1444

災 - サイ, わざわ・い
disaster, calamity, curse, evil
Henshall: 680

災害 - さいがい - calamity, disaster, misfortune

害 -　ガイ
harm, damage, injury
Henshall: 437

支援 - しえん - support, aid, assistance

支 - シ, ささ・える, つか・える, か・う
branch, support
Henshall: 691

援 - エン
help, save
Henshall: 1026

金 - キン, コン, かね, かな-, 
gold, money, metal
Henshall: 14

Nishihonganji