July 2009 to July 2010 - Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan - page 190

finally managed to tell her that she would like to explain why she votes for
Komeito. She had been nervous about calling this friend and needed to
muster up courage to make the phone call and talk about the election, afraid
what her friend would think of her. Nevertheless, she wanted to explain why
she was voting for Komeito because she felt they represented her values and
objectives. This was also a way of showing who she was as a person.
Another girl, Shino, told me after finishing a telephone conversation that

her friend had just agreed to support Komeito, and had apparently agreed to
ask her family to support it as well. Did she tell them about policies? No, not
this friend, she said, it wasn

it necessary because she knew her well, and the
friend had just agreed to support straight away. I asked her if she usually had
to explain to people about policies. That depended on the person. With this
friend, it wasn

'

it necessary, but sometimes when people said they were plan-
ning to vote for Minshut - ,

'

' Then I need to explain about policy di erences,

and why I choose Komeito ' . Why, then, did she support Komeito?

Well, I am very interested in politics generally, and just think it is your
right to get involved and have your say. If you want things to change you
have to get representatives that you like in government; you must use the
opportunity you have to vote and get involved with politics. Mostly I vote
for Komeito because of their sincerity (seijitsu), and because of their
'

' -

the way they behave). And importantly, because of
their achievements (jisseki)

manners (mana

…

Then I like the candidate (Toyama), he is
very energetic (ikiiki). I would like Komeito to be independent, not
having to

fight together with the LDP, but it can ' it be helped. Another

thing is that I am also working for k - sen-rufu that is I work on my own

human revolution (ningen kakumei). Because I need courage to speak
about politics with my friends, most people don

-

t really want to talk
about politics which can be very contentious. I build up self-con

'

dence,

and also feel courage about other things in my life.
(conversation with Shino, August 2009)

They say campaigning for Komeito is part of working for k - sen-rufu,but
rather than the winning of seats in parliament, it was through Komeito dis-
playing humanistic qualities and themselves doing the same that they believed
they were working for k - sen-rufu.
Another person relayed how on the way there, having taken a taxi because
she was late, she had struck up a conversation with the taxi-driver. While she
stressed that she knew that they were not supposed to canvass in this way, she
had not been able to stop herself when the taxi-driver had told her he was
planning to vote for Minshut - . Telling him which party she supported, the
taxi-driver had then begun to say that he was not really supportive of any of
the two main parties. While only 21 years old, she began explaining to the
older man, who was in his fifties, why she was supporting Komeito, and why

'

Komeito s position was important as a third force in politics. She explained