SNA (Tokyo) — While most public opinion polls show him running in fourth place out of 21 candidates for the post of Tokyo Governor, freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi says that the mainstream Japanese media is mostly ignoring his campaign to benefit the “chosen three” who are backed by national political parties.

What has powered Uesugi beyond most of the other candidates is his impressive internet and social media operation, a sphere in which he leads the other candidates. For example, as judged by Twitter followers, this is how Uesugi stacks up against the chosen three at the time of writing:

321,000      Takashi Uesugi

209,000      Yuriko Koike

160,000      Shuntaro Torigoe

6,290            Hiroya Masuda

The Shingetsu News Agency caught up with Takashi Uesugi on the campaign trial outside Shinjuku Station and was granted the following exclusive interview:

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