Many Japanese artists (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Tadanobu Asano, Shirota Yu) protest against government policy proposal

In what can only be described as surprising given that many celebrities in Japan don’t usually involve themselves in politics, a whole bunch of them have recently tweeted out their displeasure with a government proposal pushed by Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo regarding the public prosecutor’s office.

A new move by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the Liberal Democratic Party (民主党) to change a seemingly obscure rule in the way Japan’s public prosecutor’s office is run has many claiming that Abe and the LDP are attempting to erode the separation of powers in the Japanese government. The move has proven so unpopular that hordes of manga artists, celebrities, idols and, singers – including notable names such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and actor Asada Tadanobu – are joining in on the protest.

Read more about the issue itself here, but yeah, you read that correctly: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is raging against the machine now.

Nikkan Sports compiled a list of celebrities that have spoken out so far, and it is extensive.

Shirota Yu
Iura Arata
LaSalle Ishii
Saigo Teruhiko
Mizuno Yoshiki
Taniyama Hiroko
Nomachi Mineko
Kondo Fumie
Murayama Yuka
Irie Yu
Shiraishi Kazuya
Suetsugu Yuki
Yamazaki Mari
DaiGo
Miyamoto Amon
Hamakan Kanda
Yoshida Sensha
Koizumi Kyoko
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
Tadanobu Asano
Sudo Genki
Kakuta Mitsuyo
Shimada Masahiko
Nogi Akiko
Ayatsuji Yukito
Taikyokugu (Osawa Arimasa / Miyabe Miyuki / Kyogoku Natsuhiko)
Shiraishi Koji
Machiyama Tomohiro
Tsukamoto Shinya
Eguchi Hisashi
Umino Tsunami
Tsuda Daisuke
Seyarogai Ojisan
Katabuchi Sunao
Ito Kazunori
Kodama Yuki
Miuchi Suzue
Shiriagari Kotobuki
Kojima Keiko
Iwai Shunji
Akimoto Sayaka
Muramoto Daisuke
Shimazaki Yuzuru
Matsuda Hiroko
SKY-HI
Shiina Junpei
UNA
Tawara Machi
Ito Seiko
Shishido Kai
Aihara Koji
Tezuka Rumiko
Ohkubo Kayoko
Yamashita Tomoko
Shimamoto Rio
Umino Chica
Hara Yasuhisa
Okazaki Mari
Ito Junji
Yamashita Kazumi
Kayama Rika
Shinohara Chie
Soda Kazuhiro
Keralino Sandrovich
Itoyama Akiko
Shibasaki Tomoka
Muroi Yuzuki
Yoneyama Ryuichi
Yukawa Reiko
Nakazawa Kei
Inoue Areno
Misumi Mizuki
Hirano Keiichiro
Tatekawa Danshiro
Nomami Asa
Itoi Shigesato
Yuki Nae
Atashinchi / Kera Eiko
Matsumoto Takashi
Takada Nobuhiko
Toyohara Kosuke

Needless to say, this seems to be snowballing.

Of particular note would seem to be actor Shirota Yu, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, actor Tadanobu Asano, SKY-HI from AAA, Mizuno Yoshiki from Ikimonogakari, ex-MMA fighter Sudo Genki from WORLD ORDER, and ex-AKB48 member Akimoto Sayaka. I’m sure there’s more people to recognize there cause it’s a lot of directors and people involved in manga/anime that I probably don’t know.

Oh yeah, in the midst of this, I also learned that one of the fan favorites from Battle Royale, Yamamoto Taro, is now a leftist politician who seems to hate Abe. Rebellious king.

Also just learned that the cool guy from ‘Battle Royale’ is now an anti-establishment politician that hates Abe, lol. https://t.co/uZogEXdpnf pic.twitter.com/wa2aadiGNP

— Asian Junkie (@asianjunkiecom) May 11, 2020

2020 is a wild ride.