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‘We have to be wacky.’ With suggestive poses and pets, election campaigning tests Tokyo’s patience

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo elected a new governor over the weekend, but residents say personal publicity stunts overtook serious campaigning to a degree never seen before. There were nearly nude women in suggestive poses, pets, an AI character and a man practicing his golf swing. It was impossible to ignore. With internet campaigning still relatively new, candidates traditionally use designated election billboards — more than 14,000 of them — to promote themselves. The limited-time billboards are valuable exposure in a city crammed with advertising, and non-candidates also rented space. This year’s wackiness proved exceptional, and residents flooded election offices with complaints.

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