Discounts Offered to Encourage Young Voters in Japan
Japan is holding a general election on October 27 that will decide who governs the country and deals with issues like inflation, rising living costs and national security.
But Japan has a problem: a lot of people don't vote. In the last general election in 2021, less than 56% of the population voted.
This problem is even worse among younger people. Although Japan lowered the minimum voting age from 20 to 18 in 2016, it seems many young people feel like their vote won't make a difference.
In the 2021 election, just over 36% of people in their 20s voted, and only 43% of teenagers voted.
An organization called Senkyowari is trying to change young people's attitudes toward elections by offering people who vote discounts and special deals in different shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Senkyowari — which means "election discount" in Japanese — has been organizing a "Voting Rewards" program since 2012.
People who have proof that they have voted — such as a voting certificate or a photo of themselves taken at a polling station — are entitled to a range of rewards.
These rewards can include cheap drinks at bars, discounted movie or live music tickets, and even special deals at matchmaking agencies.
And there's no age limit, so you don't have to be young to enjoy your discounts!
In fact, for those who are not yet old enough to vote, Senkyowari has created an app through which younger people can make a mock vote — so they can still enjoy their discounts!
The organizers believe that just telling young people "politics is important" isn't effective. Instead, they want to create a positive atmosphere around elections so that they feel more like special events like Christmas or New Year.
Around 2,500 organizations and companies joined the Voting Rewards program for the 2023 local elections in Japan. A list of this year's participating businesses is available on the Senkyowari website.
