July 30, 2013
Toshiya Hatsushika, a third-year student at the Faculty of Policy Management, and Kyuta Sato, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Law, have won the Grand Prize in a video contest held by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to raise awareness about the lifting of the ban on online election campaigning.
The contest was held to raise public awareness following the lifting of the ban on online election campaigning for the House of Councillors election. Hatsushika was primarily responsible for planning, including developing the concept, while Sato handled filming and CG video production, which led to their impressive win. The video was praised for its narrative, which shows young people using the internet to gather election information and encourages them to engage with the future of Japan.
Comment from Toshiya Hatsushika
I believe that the younger generation, including us students at SFC, will be the most affected by the lifting of the ban on online election campaigning. Even in the recent House of Councillors election, I think we had many opportunities to see information from candidates on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, the fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is publicly soliciting videos about online election campaigning is a new initiative in itself. I hope this award will encourage the "net generation," who will shape the future of Japan, to engage more seriously with politics.
Published by: General Affairs (Public Relations) Section, Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) Office