Osaka Gubernatorial Election posters

The incumbent Fusae Ôta (太田 房江)'s poster emphasizes her name rather than her face, and features the slogan "accelerate the revitalization of Osaka" (大阪再生パワーアップ) It also discreetly notes the recommendations of the LDP, DJP and Komeito. These recommendations became a focal point of the campaign, as the DJP Dietmember and former Osaka baseball hero Takenori Emoto (江本 孟紀) resigned from the Diet to stand for governor. emphasizesster emphasises his face, featuring not one but two close-up photographs. The larger photo is a contemporary color shot, and in the upper right corner there is another photograph of the candidate in black and white. However the Emoto in the black and white photograph does not appear to be any younger than the figure in the central shot. Perhaps this a clever piece of understatement, inviting the viewer to remember Emoto's glory days by showing an "old-fashioned" black and white photograph, but not actually showing him as a sportsman -- which might suggest that he lacks the seriousness required of a politician. Emoto's slogan is run-of-the-mill ("let's change Osaka together"), but it is in Osaka dialect (みんなで大阪変えたいねん!!) The candidate recommended by the JCP, Shôji Umeda (梅田 章二) opts for a bright red background and a slogan promising to restore both living standards and the Osaka economy.

(Thanks to Maho for shooting the posters).