Annoying Political Campaign Cars
There’s some type of regulation here that says politicians can’t advertise just willy-nilly however they want. That sounds great, but one result of this system is that something like 2 weeks before any election, a ton of political cars wind up driving around blaring their names and campaign slogans. It’s enough to make you want to guzzle antifreeze (which is not something I recommend, even if it is sweet – they make it a scary green for a reason, folks).
I translated the Japanese Wikipedia subsection on these cars below. (Forgive any errors, you Nihongophiles out there! It was a quick job.) It was appropriately located in the article for propaganda cars. Ha ha. Anyway, remember that the above 3 minute 20-odd second long video was culled from more than 10 minutes of senkyo kaa footage that I took over about a 4 hour span. Sheesh!
選挙運動車公職選挙の選挙運動期間にのみ活動する。ワンボックス車やバスを改造したものが多く、屋根の上や後部に候補者が立ち、駅前などの繁華街に駐車して演説などの選挙運動を行う。公職選挙法の規制を受けるため、活動時間・内容には制限がある。また、走りながら流す内容は、キャッチフレーズ（政策）と候補者名・所属政党名の連呼に留まる。
多くの政党や労働組合、市民団体などでは、規制を受けない通常型の宣伝車も保有する事が多い。当然、流す内容も街頭演説の告知や機関紙の宣伝など多岐に渡る。
- Japanese Wikipedia Article on 「街宣車」 or “Propaganda Cars”
Cars Used in Political ElectionsThese cars are limited to use during elections for public office. Modified or converted “one-box” cars and buses are common. Candidates stand on the roof or on the rear of these remodeled vehicles and perform political campaign activities, such as making speeches while parked in front of a train station or other business area. In order to conform with the Public Office Elections Law these activities have restrictions on hours and content. The content that these cars may announce via loudspeaker while driving around is also limited to announcing the name of the candidate, the name of the political party with which they are affiliated, and their policies and catchphrases.
Many political parties, labor unions, and citizen’s groups also posses unregulated propaganda vehicles. Naturally, the announcements that their “street oratories,” announcements and bulletins publicize is wide-ranging.
As awful as these cars and the dins they create are, I actually wonder if I’d trade the current slow frog-in-boiling-water American-style 2 year train-wreck model for it. I mean, a 2 week barrage of sun-up to sun-down blaring bull horns, repetitive drive-bys, and legions of waving white-gloved hands is bad…
…but at least it ENDS. 
Customary Drivel, Media, Politics, Unsolicited Commentary, Video, 日本語
