Social Media in the 2021 Election Campaign

Abstract

Since the use of social media in election campaigns was made legal in 2013, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have been widely adopted by candidates in Japan’s elections. This chapter examines how social media platforms were used in the 2021 election, looking at which candidates and parties chose to engage most heavily in online campaigning, and at the issues, policies, and narratives which the various parties’ candidates focused on in their social media messaging. LDP candidates are seen to have focused on the government’s track record and the success of the COVID-19 vaccination program, while mainstream opposition candidates’ online messaging largely focused on pocketbook and family issues. This chapter concludes with an analysis of the Twitter follower networks of both candidates and major media organizations, providing insight into the extent of affective polarization on social media during the 2021 election period.