Opinion | Honking for votes: inside Japan’s tradition of election sound trucks

It starts as a distant series of distorted notes, carried on the wind through Tokyo’s suburbs. Gradually, it comes closer and the noise builds. Eventually, the van rounds a corner and I am subjected to the full power of a sound system that would not be out of place at a rock concert.

Flags flutter from the rear of the white van, which has its party affiliation emblazoned across the bonnet and down both sides. A man in a baseball cap declaring his political preference is behind the wheel and women in the rear seats are leaning from the windows and waving white-gloved hands at passers-by who hardly glance in their direction.

Welcome to political campaigning, Japanese style.

Japan’s last election took place only in July last year and a number of cities have had local votes in the intervening months, meaning that the sound trucks invariably deployed to promote a candidate have been working hard recently.