This Japanese Politician is Campaigning with a Cat

If adorable, box-loving YouTube star Maru has taught us anything, it’s that Japan is as obsessed with cats as the U.S. is. Maybe that's why Satoshi Shima, a former member of Japanese Parliament, believes that campaigning with a cat can only help his chances to represent the Mikawa region in an upcoming election.

According to Kotaku, most Japanese election ads consist of a plain headshot with a slogan—nothing too daring. But Shima’s face is dwarfed by an enormous cat head on some of his posters, an eye-catching strategy that appears to be drawing more attention to his campaign. The mysterious feline even appears when you try to send Shima’s office an email via his website.

Simasato.net

It’s not known if the cat belongs to Shima or if Shima ever plans to make a personal appearance with his mascot. But there's still time to get answers; the election is expected to wrap up by December 2018.

[h/t Kotaku]

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