You don’t have to be super crazy to serve on the city council, but it helps.
On 31 January, the political landscape of Toda, Saitama Prefecture was rocked by the electoral victory of 34-year-old musician Super Crazy Kun to city council. After campaigning hard with street dance parties and a strong social media presence, this aspiring politician found a novel way of tapping into young non-voters to secure his victory.
▼ “Child Power: School teachers and cram school teachers, grandpas and grandmas, and all kinds of acquaintances [of kids] are being brought to the polls and are voting for Super Crazy Kun. It’s something that can only be done by Super Crazy Kun because he really cares about children.”
Although he had a platform of anti-animal cruelty, child welfare, and 24-hour adult entertainment that almost anyone could get behind, it was his general look and demeanor that presented him as a political breath of fresh air.
He mostly kept his extensive tattoos under cover, but candidate Super Crazy Kun’s trademark look mainly consisted of brightly dyed brown hair and a special attack uniform; a long trench coat once worn by Japanese soldiers on suicide missions in World War II, but have since become common attire of young bikers known as bosozoku.
▼ This performance was a part of his run for Tokyo Governor last year.
Half anti-establishment symbolism and half representation of his troubled youth in a juvenile correctional facility for five years, these features that would normally sink a lesser candidate’s campaign became distinct advantages in the capable hands of Super Crazy Kun.
However, on 8 February, the new Toda city council convened for the first time and reporters were anxious to see what kind of entrance Super Crazy Kun was going to make, only for him to appear shockingly unshocking.
In stark contrast to his previous appearance, Super Crazy Kun entered the Toda City Council building in a nicely pressed and well tailored suit along with his natural black hair. On the other hand, in the lobby of the building “Super Crazy Kun,” rather than his birth name of Makoto Nishimura was written among all the members, suggesting that he will be formally addressed as such during meetings.
Reporters flocked around him and asked about his new look as well as his plans as a councilman. He replied that coming into the city council dressed like before would interfere with his ability to deliver on his promises, adding that “the most important thing is getting tangible results.”
So, it looks like Super Crazy Kun is rising to the challenge of political office, but how did his new look go over with his voters and fans?
“I live in Toda and for the first time in my life I will look forward to those city newsletters I get every month in the mail.”
“Do your best and remember why you got into politics! I support you!”
“Outlaw NHK collectors in Toda!”
“Crazy Kun is cool.”
“You can tell he’s taking this seriously. He’s smart and thinking all the time.”
“Oh no, a suit!?”
“I don’t know much about this guy, but he seems properly motivated and thinking about the future.”
So aside from some mild disappointment, most people support Super Crazy Kun’s new look. In interviews he also mentioned that he received several requests to appear and speak at retirement homes and elementary schools, many of which requested that he wear his special attack uniform.
“I’m told to wear my special attack uniform to retirement home appearances,” explains Super Crazy Kun “but if I say I’ll wear a suit they’ll say ‘good luck’ because they know it won’t go as well. Especially with kids, if I wear a suit, they’re like; ‘What the heck?!’ I have to consider case-by-case when it’s better to wear a suit or wear my special attack uniform.”
▼ “Good morning. It’s my second day.” [Sign reads “Council Member Super Crazy Kun’s Waiting Room”]
Councilman Super Crazy Kun clearly has no plans of abandoning his old look altogether, but he’s also prepared for the potential blowback he’ll receive in council meetings for it. “Adult bullying is the scariest, even worse than when I was a kid,” said Super Crazy Kun, “but I can take it.”
It looks like a difficult road for Super Crazy Kun to appease both his base and the notoriously stodgy world of Japanese politics, but he seems to be taking it very seriously and with a little luck he might just help make Toda a better place to live.
Source: Tokyo Sports Web, Twitter/@makoto_9999
Top image: YouTube/政経ゆっくりチャンネル NHKから国民を守る党ver
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