In a bid to help boost voter turnout in Sunday's upper house election, some companies in Japan have launched various campaigns to get patrons -- especially young voters -- to the polls, such as offering free refills of ramen noodles or discounts for movie tickets to those who have voted.
World-famous ramen chain Ippudo, for example, is offering a refill of noodles or a boiled egg topping for free to patrons who show proof they have cast ballots, such as certificates issued at polling stations. The campaign runs from Sunday through the end of July at 93 Ippudo shops nationwide.
Ippudo's operator Chikaranomoto Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Fukuoka, said this is the third time it has implemented such offers, after launching the initial campaign during the 2016 House of Councillors' election.
【選挙割、実施します!】7月21日に投開票される参院選にて「#選挙割」を実施します。一風堂では今回が3度目で、継続することに意義ありということで行います。皆さんが選挙に行ったり選挙について話し合ったりする、ささやかなきっかけになれば嬉しく思います😊!詳しくは☟https://t.co/E4BDMpsg4X pic.twitter.com/Sf2vY67N5Q
— 【公式】博多 一風堂 ツイッター店 (@IPPUDO_JP) July 10, 2019
Similarly, Tapista, a bubble tea chain especially popular among young people, is selling all items on its menu at half price on Sunday to anyone who has voted.
⭐️選挙に行ったらタピスタ半額キャンペーン⭐️
— Tapista❁公式 (@Tapista_JP) July 17, 2019
7月21日(日)は参議院選挙です。「Tapista」は、選挙に行く方を応援します。投票日当日、投票済証明書をご提示いただいたお客様は「全品半額」にいたします!
タピオカの一粒の重みと、あなたが持つ一票の重みは、どちらも未来を変える大切なものです。 pic.twitter.com/yrXyblIIpS
"The weight of each tapioca pearl, and the weight of that one vote you hold, both are important tools to change the future," it said in a tweet.
At the Uplink Shibuya and Uplink Kichijoji cinemas in Tokyo, moviegoers purchasing tickets with a "youth discount" for those aged 16-22 will receive a free complimentary ticket for their next visit by showing proof having voted.
7月21日(日)の参院選当日に、ユース(22歳以下)料金で映画をご覧になる方で、投票を証明するもの(投票済証明書など)を受付でご提示いただいた方に、次回、アップリンク渋谷またはアップリンク吉祥寺で映画を無料でご鑑賞いただける招待券をプレゼントいたします。 pic.twitter.com/E7fV7UAzdn
— 浅井隆 ASAI Takashi (@asaitakashi) July 19, 2019
Hiruneko Books, a shop in Tokyo that sells mainly secondhand books, launched the "Vote! & Read!" campaign in mid-July, in which patrons who have voted can pick a secondhand book from a discount shelf for free. The idea was soon picked up by other bookstores across the country.
イラストレーター・やまぐちまりこ@mariko_y_illust さんが賛同してくださり、素敵なビジュアルができました!
— 谷中・ひるねこBOOKS (@hirunekobooks) July 11, 2019
©︎は入っていますが、特に許可などは必要ありませんので、全国の書店さんや本にまつわる色々なお店・スペースで、自由に活用していただければと思います。
一票で、世界を変えましょう。 pic.twitter.com/AdOXxHFPMy
Meanwhile, outdoor apparel maker Patagonia Inc.'s Japan branch closed all of its 22 directly managed retail stores nationwide on election day to enable its employees to vote.
Under the slogan "Vote our planet," the company, known for its environmental and social agendas, also organized "Local Election Cafes" at its stores earlier this month to facilitate open discussions in the run up to the poll.
明日7月21日(日)は、参議院議員通常選挙の投開票日。家族や友人、大切な人たちと語り合い、投票に行くパタゴニア従業員のために、全直営店、閉店します。#私たちの地球のために投票しようhttps://t.co/kSnDTnneld pic.twitter.com/cnpQ4XGmo3
— パタゴニア (@PatagoniaJP) July 20, 2019
At the previous upper house election in 2016, voter turnout was 54.70 percent. Low turnout is also expected in Sunday's poll, particularly among disenchanted or disengaged young people.
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Parties engaging apathetic youth in hopes of increasing support base
LGBT community hopes election spurs gay rights debate, legislation