Japanese Comedian Dresses Up as Batman Villain to Run for Governor
By Ryan General
March 11, 2021
A Japanese politician is pulling different stunts, including dressing up as a Batman villain, to attract attention to his electoral campaign.
Yuusuke Kawai, who is running for governor of Chiba Prefecture, recently appeared on TV wearing makeup that appears to be a recreation of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, reports Kotaku.
Kawai presented his campaign platform on NHK, a Japanese public broadcaster while donning a burgundy jacket that references the character.
In an interview with Tokyo Sports, he shared that he is going “for laughs” in his televised political speech as it wouldn’t make the news if he talked about his “true self.”
When asked about his clown get-up, he explained: “Since the clown is kind of a dark hero, I had this impression that I could get the support of the masses.”
Recognizing his target demographic, Kawai immediately told viewers to press record and share it on YouTube and TikTok as he began his speech.
According to Hachima Kikou, Kawai’s platform included the following:
- Build a “Tokyo Tower” in Chiba, noting that Tokyo Disneyland is not actually located in Tokyo, but Chiba.
- Rename Chiba’s Narita Airport as “Disney Sky”
- Make “Let It Go” from Frozen Chiba’s theme song
- Replace the word “trash” in Chiba with the words “star fragment”
- Refer to the rabble-rousers, for which Chiba is known, as “Olaf” (a character from Frozen)
- Rename Makuhari Station as “Makuhari Messe Isn’t Here Station”
Kawai also promoted the benefits of wearing masks. Addressing the anti-maskers in Tokyo who believe that “the novel coronavirus is just a cold,” Kawai advised them to wear masks as “getting colds is not pleasant.”
Kawai quit his job a few years ago to become a comedian. After failing to get his break on TV, he created videos on YouTube that feature most of his attempts at comedic stunts.
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