- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,914
A few weeks ago, we posted about Kishi Nobuo, Abe's younger brother, quitting politics due to a rapidly progressing illness. Just like PM Kishida grooming his eldest, Nobu's son Nobuchiyo is expected to fill his dad's boots and take over his electoral district in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture. However, Nobuchiyo's first step in the political arena turned into a veritable faux pas.
The family tree he put prominently on his campaign website revealed his deep familial connections with prominent figures from Japanese politics, which quickly attracted a major backlash on social media for flaunting those ties. The family history was swiftly removed. It goes to show that politics is all about family, connections and affiliation, not ideals, principles, convictions and commitment. I have no doubt, however, that Nobuchiyo, just like Kishida's son, Shintaro, will have a formidable political career.
Reading the comments on Twitter, I am glad that parts of the Japanese public no longer approve of the nepotistic practices of the past.
The family tree he put prominently on his campaign website revealed his deep familial connections with prominent figures from Japanese politics, which quickly attracted a major backlash on social media for flaunting those ties. The family history was swiftly removed. It goes to show that politics is all about family, connections and affiliation, not ideals, principles, convictions and commitment. I have no doubt, however, that Nobuchiyo, just like Kishida's son, Shintaro, will have a formidable political career.
Reading the comments on Twitter, I am glad that parts of the Japanese public no longer approve of the nepotistic practices of the past.