On the 13th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Investigation Division 2 arrested the political group “Tsubasano” on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act (obstruction of freedom) for interfering with street speeches by other camps in the Tokyo 15th Ward by-election for the House of Representatives held on April 28. The party’s offices in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, were raided. This was revealed through interviews with investigators.
Investigators leave the building that houses Tsubasa’s party’s office, cardboard in hand, after searching a house on the 13th in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
Other homes searched were the home of Atsuhiko Kurokawa (45), the group’s representative, in Asaka City, Saitama Prefecture, and the home of Ryosuke Nemoto (29), an unsuccessful candidate for the group, in Nerima Ward, Tokyo.
According to investigators, during the by-election period, Mr. Kurokawa, Mr. Nemoto, and others repeatedly criticized and argued at the venue of street speeches of other camps at a volume so loud that the speeches could not be heard, and also at the venue of street speeches of other camps. He is suspected of blocking traffic by chasing him around in his car. The Metropolitan Police Department is said to have received several other complaints.
Ryosuke Nemoto of the Tsubasa Party speaks to other candidates from a public phone booth in the Tokyo 15th Ward by-election for the House of Representatives on April 16 in Koto Ward, Tokyo.
During the by-election period, Nemoto’s camp repeatedly engaged in acts that could be considered sabotage, such as chasing other camps’ street propaganda vehicles in what they called “car chases”. On April 18, two days after the announcement, the Metropolitan Police Department issued a warning to Kurokawa and others for violating the Public Elections Act, accusing them of interfering with the election campaign of another camp.
The following day, on the 19th, Kurokawa retorted on his personal social networking site (SNS), saying, “The police station is interfering with the election.We received a warning that something that was commonplace in past elections is a violation.” was.