JAPAN: The real face of politics? Japanese rubber mask-maker gears up for elections

Record ID: 464883

  • Title: JAPAN: The real face of politics? Japanese rubber mask-maker gears up for elections
  • Date: 27th August 2009
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) ASO ON CAMPAIGN VAN ASO TALKING AT HACHIOUJI CITY HATOYAMA TALKING HATOYAMA AT DEMOCRATIC PARTY HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA3O0YUDXQP3XTK8AV3TMVAYJ5P
  • Story Text: Breaking the mold, Japan's opposition leader - who is likely to win upcoming general elections ending almost five decades of power of the sitting LDP - joins other political icons as a face-mask, as a Japanese mask manufacturer gears up for the elections.
    With campaigning underway in one of Japan's most monumental elections, candidate's faces are plastered everywhere... at least they are now, thanks to one rubber mask factory on the outskirts of Tokyo.
    At Ogawa Rubber Mask factory workers are fervently making political masks - popular in the midst of election fever.
    Masks of current prime minister Taro Aso have been a staple.
    Even American President Barack Obama's plastic profile is a popular design.
    And now, enter opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama.
    Japan's opposition Democratic Party is ahead in newspaper polls against the sitting Liberal Democratic Party.
    The LDP have been in power for almost five decades and their defeat in the national election on August 30 would not only be historic, but could raise the chances of breaking a stalemate in a divided parliament.
    The Ogawa factory Chief Director Takahiro Yagihara and company president Hirohisa Ogawa donned the masks of the main contenders and showed how the opponents could be quite friendly with a good old fashioned handshake.
    Getting into character Yagihara, masked as Hatoyama, quipped that, "I'll have to let myself fight in this election. Change of Government is what's necessary, right?"
    Ogawa, masked as Aso, asserted back, "Ah, that would be a problem for me."
    For the mask business though, the election is a much welcomed profit-making opportunity regardless of the political outcome.
    "In terms of masks, it doesn't really matter who wins and sells. But if you think about the economy and such, it seems like the Democratic Party will come out on top," explained Yagihara.
    In the run-up to the last election, the factory experienced a boost in sales for masks of current prime minister Aso, though contender Hatoyama has yet to boost sales in the same way.
    "Hatoyama is somewhat lacking in the interesting department. If you wear his mask now, all you can really say is 'Government Change, Government Change', so we hope that he'll cause some sort of stir and bump up sales." said Yagihara after explaining they have only sold about 100 or so of Hatoyama masks.
    All the masks are handmade and hand-painted and come in wide variety of makes, ranging from Michael Jackson to Buddha statues.
    With the general election approaching, politicians are trying to put their face out to public and the rubber mask industry is helping them do that - literally.
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