An interview with Mr. Akai Ohi, the author of "Between Politics and Political Science", is now available.

PEP Talk "Between Politics and Political Science" is now available.

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Interview with Dr. Akai Ohi, Author of "Between Politics and Political Science: How I Fought the House of Representatives Election"

Introduction

Umada: Today, we have Dr. Akai Ohi, who published the book "Between Politics and Political Science: How I Fought the House of Representatives Election" in December 2023. This unique book is a reflection on both the theoretical and practical aspects of politics, written by Dr. Ohi, who studied political theory while actually running for the House of Representatives election. I would like to ask him about what politics is, while looking back on it theoretically and discussing actual political activities.

Dr. Ohi's Research and Activities

Umada: First, could you tell us about your usual research and activities?

Ohi: I was born in 1980 and am 43 years old, originally from Hiroshima City. I studied political history at the university and graduate school, and my specialty was originally British politics. However, about 5 or 6 years ago, I shifted my focus to Japanese politics and started publishing essays in the media. In April 2020, I returned to Hiroshima and became a prospective candidate for the House of Representatives election, engaging in political activities for about two years. I lost the election in October 2021, and life was tough afterward, but I was often asked about my experience during my political activities, so I wrote this book in December last year to reflect on these two years.

Background and Intention of Writing the Book

Umada: As the title of the book, "Between Politics and Political Science," suggests, did you have the motivation to organize your thoughts by overlapping the two perspectives of academic research and actual political activities?

Ohi: That's right. I wanted to capture both my experience in academic research and my actual commitment into the world of politics not as separate things, but as a continuous issue, and I wanted readers to understand this by compiling it into a book.

Content and Highlights of the Book

Umada: The book consists of three parts, from Part 1 to Part 3. Could you first tell us about the highlights of the theoretical part in Part 1?

Ohi: I wrote Part 1 with the aim to present my own roadmap of contemporary politics since the 1990s. I often heard that Japanese politics is in turmoil, and I was thinking about presenting a framework that could explain this. So, I propose the concept of the "1993 system." My argument is that after the collapse of the 1955 system, non-LDP conservative reformists emerged, and the policy options of Japanese parties became three-sided struggle: the LDP's conservatism, conservative reformists opposing the LDP, and former progressive forces.

Umada: In Part 2, your activities during the 2021 House of Representatives election are vividly described. Are there any episodes you would like readers to read about?

Ohi: I wrote it with the intention of answering readers' questions about the process of elections, which is about sending candidates to the legislature. Unlike the judiciary and public administration, candidates for legislation are not required any difficult qualification exam but they must go through the election process instead. So, I tried to have dialogues with as many people as possible. Especially the dialogues with people in the food and beverage industry and shopping districts who were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic were experiences that greatly changed my outlook on life.

Political Participation of the Younger Generation

Umada: In the book, you pointed out that the younger generation is not able to effectively use politics. How can young people appeal to politics?

Ohi: Looking at the voter turnout in national elections, while the 60s are close to 70%, the 20s are at 35%, showing a large gap. Rationally speaking, politicians have no choice but to prioritize the elderly vote over the youth vote. However, in the future, the current younger generation will become the volume zone of voters, so their political participation is an important issue. For example, regarding the issue of scholarships, students are currently unable to put pressure on politics. I think the key is how to make the younger generation feel the ease of use of politics.

The Gap and Connection between Political Theory and Practice

Umada: Through your political activities, did you feel any gaps between political theory and practice, and conversely, any points where theory was alive in practice?

Ohi: I felt a gap between abstract discussions and reality. For example, the idea of "degrowth" is important, but if you advocate for it in an election now, you will definitely lose. I feel there is a large gap between academic discussions and actual political management. On the other hand, I was able to understand the significance of systems like the employment adjustment subsidy with a real sense during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vision for Japanese Politics

Umada: Finally, could you tell us about your vision for guiding Japanese politics in the future?

Ohi: From now on, Japanese politics will increasingly have to face the unavoidable issues such as population decline and aging society. It is difficult to draw a vision, but what we can do is to sincerely tackle specific individual issues. Through such efforts, perhaps a vision will naturally emerge when we look back.

The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, but the star Deneb has a brightness 6,000 times that of the sun and appears dark from Earth because of its distance. I believe that what will illuminate Japanese society in the future is the power of each individual shining like Deneb. I would be happy to be one of them together with all of you.

Umada: Thank you for your valuable insights today.