Learning more about politics in Japan

Even though voting in Japan isn't open to non-citizens, I've come to realize it still really pays to understand what's happening in the political space here. Policies shape everything from childcare and education to energy, inflation, visas, and even how local governments respond to disasters. If you're living in Japan long term, being politically aware is just part of being plugged into daily life.

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That's probably why a recent survey by IkoYo Family Lab caught my eye. They asked nearly 700 parenting households how they decide who to vote for and where they get their election information from, and despite the rise of social media, television is still king. Around 58% of respondents said they rely on TV when making election decisions, and about one in seven people use only television and nothing else.

However, most people don't stop there. A clear trend is what the survey calls a "two-sword or three-sword" approach, where people start with TV for an overview, then dig deeper using other sources. Web news and articles were the most common second source, followed closely by YouTube. X (formerly Twitter), video streaming services, and even old-school newspapers also made the list.

For expats, I think this is a useful takeaway. If you're trying to follow Japanese politics, relying on just one source (especially just English-language summaries) can give you a pretty narrow view. Mixing TV news clips, Japanese web articles, and even YouTube explainers can help you spot what's being emphasized locally versus what's being debated online. It's also a great way to improve your language comprehension!