Actors Shun Oguri and Ken Watanabe are among Japanese celebrities calling in a now-viral YouTube video for young people in the country to vote in the upcoming general election.
The video titled, "VOICE PROJECT Tohyo Wa Anata No Koe" (Your Vote is Your Voice), lasts about three minutes and 30 seconds, and shows 14 entertainers sharing their thoughts on voting, amid low interest in voting among young people. It has so far garnered more than 310,000 views since it was uploaded on Saturday.
10月31日は衆議院選挙。一票じゃ何も変わらないと思うかもしれない。けれど、その一票の集まりで社会は決められてきました。
— VOICE PROJECT 投票はあなたの声 (@tohyo_koe) October 15, 2021
投票は、あなたの声です。それは、届けるべき声です。わたしたちも、ひとりひとり悩み考えながら、投票へ行きます。
#わたしも投票しますhttps://t.co/2uG5o0K30F pic.twitter.com/u95776jQYD
The opening scene features actor Fumi Nikaido, 27, saying, "This is neither an advertisement nor a political campaign," followed by actor Taiga Nakano, 28, who says, "We made this video of our own free will."
"The very first step we can do is to vote," Oguri, 38, says in the video, while actor Masaki Suda, 28, says he was "surprised" by the low voter turnout among young people and realizes he is also part of that generation.
Watanabe, the 61-year-old star of Hollywood blockbusters, says, "It feels good when you are able to say what you want and exercise your rights."
Kanna Hashimoto, 22, and Nikaido underscore the importance of voting for future generations, with Hashimoto saying, "We must express our determination," and Nikaido comparing voting to "taking better care" of oneself.
Japan has seen low voter turnout among young people who appear to be disengaged from politics. In the 2019 upper house election, the overall voter turnout was 48.8 percent, but among those aged 18 and 19 it stood at around 30 percent, according to the government.
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