Japanese Politician Analysts

Is your assessment based on nothing more than a vague impression?

A phrase heard on the news. A post seen on social media. A flyer distributed before an election. A topic repeatedly covered on television. The information we use to judge politicians is surprisingly fragmented and relies heavily on intuition.

"They seem decent enough," "I just don't trust them," "I see them on TV a lot, so they must be doing their job"—what actually lies behind these vague impressions? Were campaign promises actually kept? Do their past statements contradict their current ones? Have there been legal issues regarding political funds? And above all, are there critical issues being overlooked?

"Japanese Politician Analysts" is a methodology designed to replace these vague impressions with a foundation of verifiable facts. It applies to a wide range of elected officials, including members of the National Diet, heads of local governments (such as governors and mayors), and members of prefectural and municipal assemblies.

Evaluating based on verifiable facts, not popularity or name recognition

We do not judge politicians based on likability or media exposure. Instead, we evaluate them from multiple independent perspectives—such as the extent to which campaign promises were realized, their proactive efforts as politicians, the consistency of their statements and policy stances, and their actual performance in the assembly—using only concrete, verifiable facts. Statements like "I will do my best" or "I will promote transparency" are not used as criteria for evaluation.

Serious issues cannot be hidden behind a track record of achievements

There is another key principle we uphold: a strong track record of achievements should not obscure serious misconduct.

Issues such as rule violations, inappropriate use of public funds, serious allegations regarding money, legal matters (including investigations or referrals to prosecutors) concerning political funds, and other widely reported misconduct are assessed within a framework separate from general performance evaluations. These issues are then factored into the overall assessment in accordance with the gravity of the verified facts. The system is designed to prevent a scenario where "minor" infractions are overlooked simply because a politician has a strong track record. The degree of misconduct is assessed in stages based on concrete, verifiable facts rather than mere impressions.

We do not base our scoring on the raw text of political funding reports (which are often scanned PDF images). Instead, we provide links to official search systems so that you can verify the information yourself.

Trace the reasoning behind the evaluation

We do not simply present a final verdict. We disclose the process—showing the evidence and logic behind the evaluation—so that anyone can review it later.

We clearly cite primary sources (such as meeting minutes, election bulletins, and court rulings) and indicate the level of certainty regarding the evidence. Fabricating information is strictly prohibited; if something cannot be verified, we state so honestly. We clearly distinguish between what is known and what is not, without skewing the facts to suit a particular narrative.

A change in policy is not automatically a negative

Politicians sometimes alter their policies over time. However, a change in policy does not necessarily make someone a "bad politician." What matters is the reason for the change: Did they explain it? Is the explanation logical? We do not simply look for discrepancies between past and present stances.

Start with a list, even if you don't know the names

If you aren't sure which politicians represent your district, simply entering your region (prefecture, city, ward, town, or village) allows you to generate a list of local heads of government, national lawmakers, and the composition of local assembly caucuses. Once you find a politician who interests you, you can proceed to view a detailed, individual evaluation.

Moving beyond "like" or "dislike" when evaluating politicians

The evaluations provided by this tool are not the sole answer for deciding whom to vote for. Politics involves values. Priorities vary—whether it is the economy, social security, diplomacy and national security, or regional policy. The assessment of a single politician can differ depending on what an individual values ​​most.

For this reason, this tool does not recommend supporting or voting for any specific political party or candidate. Our goal is not to tell you which politician you should vote for; rather, we aim to organize the relevant information so that you can evaluate the facts for yourself and make your own informed decision.

Not just in Japanese

We also handle requests for analysis in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. We provide information that is accessible to voters with overseas roots and to foreign resident communities.

Use this service when...
You want to verify a candidate's track record with your own eyes before voting.
You want to grasp the full picture of a politician—beyond just fragmented news reports.
You aren't even sure who the politicians in your electoral district are.
You want to check for issues regarding political funds, such as investigations or referrals to prosecutors.
You want to know what your local head of government or elected representatives have actually achieved.

Casting a vote is a decision that deserves serious consideration. "Japanese Politician Analysts" is a tool designed to help you shift that decision-making process from one based on mere impressions to one grounded in evidence.

Verify the facts before relying on assumptions. Simply tell us the name of the politician or the region you are interested in.