Profile: Kanako Otsuji
Born in 1974 in Nara, Kanako Otsuji was elected to serve as a representative for Sakai city in the Osaka Prefectural Assembly on April 13, 2003. The August 2005 publication of her autobiography Coming Out: A Journey to Find My True Self marked the start of her new life as Japan's first out politician. In May of 2007, Otsuji was officially recognized by the Democratic Party of Japan as their representative candidate for the Upper House election. Ultimately, Otsuji did not secure a win, but she did became the first ever openly gay district assembly member to run for Parliament endorsed by a major political party. www.otsuji-k.com
【Link】 Interview with Kanako Otsuji
【Link】 Press Conference

Profile: Naomi Matsunaga
Naomi Matsunaga graduated from Keio University's Graduate School of Letters with a Master of Arts in Literature. Currently, he lectures at the University of Geneva in Switzerland while publishing his plays and short stories. In 1999, Naomi Matsunaga's contemporary drama, Les ténèbres éternelles (The Eternal Darkness), was awarded an Honorable Mention to the Special Encouragement Prize for Fiction in Performing Arts by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs.
www.matsunaganaomi.com (Japanese text only)

--During the campaign, you went to Osaka and other areas besides Tokyo. How were you received? What was your take on things?

O:
For me, Kagoshima was most interesting.

When you look at this graph, you'll see why...Here it is.

M:
Oh, there were more votes in Kagoshima than Tokyo!!

O:
This shows the percentages of people who voted for Otsuji. When looking at the nationwide ratios of people voting for a DPJ candidate, the cities with the most Otsuji ballots are Osaka first, and then Kagoshima.

--Why do you think that is?

O:
There were 2500 votes. The population of Kagoshima is just under 1,800,000. And Kagoshima is known as a southern conservative area in Japan. But, in fact, if you look at the family roots of the name 'Otsuji', they go back to Kagoshima. Because of that, our strategic HQ had suggested that if there were ever a place we could win votes outside of the LGBT arena, then that place would be Kagoshima. So, we established a base for the elections in Kagoshima and I went to speak there several times- just to see what it was like. I was told by a lot of LGBT people that it was pointless to campaign in a conservative area like Kagoshima (laughs). To many LGBT folks, family is the single most oppressive entity in their lives, relations by blood are the oldest - and the ones that hurt us the most. I myself haven't joined my family for New Year's gatherings or the like since I've come out. But when I tried Kagoshima, though half in doubt, the votes followed.

M:
That's amazing.

O:
People say that in Japan votes are cast along blood lines and regional ties. My experience in Kagoshima perfectly illustrated that. Family and regional ties prevailed proved to be stronger than even the LGBT community. Up until now, to do something like this would have been categorically rejected out of hand (laughs). The Kagoshima miracle turned the idea that we should remain as far from family and local community as possible on its head.

M:
Well, I'm sure that this is just a coincidence but, historically, Satsuma was rich in a culture of pederasty; Of course, this has nothing to do with the city today (laughs).

O:
(laughs) But isn't it really surprising that blood lines and regional ties would result in votes like that? Well, I suppose negative feedback was directed at some of my family -like one of my relatives who lectured my father for 30 minutes saying, 'How did you raise her?!' But my grandmother went out and distributed flyers. I don't think she really understood though (laughs). I'm sure she just felt that she had to lend a hand for her grandchild's campaign! (laughs)

M:
I see. And looking at this graph, it seems like a lot of votes came from Okinawa as well.

O:
Yes. However, all the numbers here are percentages, so in number alone the strongest showings were in Osaka and Tokyo. But one thing I can say for sure is that votes followed from anywhere I went to campaign in person, little progress vote-wise was made in places I hadn't gone.

--So it did turn out that way.

O:
Clearly.

translated by rayna