No escaping elections

Having been on holidays in the lead up to  the Australian Federal elections, held last Saturday 2 July (we did a pre-poll postal vote before we left for our trip), we thought we had escaped much of the election campaigning! (Although we have been watching the outcome of the Australian election with interest, via social media).

Not so! Election campaigning for the Japanese senate is in full flight here, in the lead up to the senkyo, being held this coming Sunday, 10 July. So as we have travelled around Japan we have noticed loads of billboards with pictures of very earnest looking politicians and had our ears assaulted by a steady stream of minivans driving past with loud-hailers blaring as politicians and party workers extol the virtues of their esteemed candidate. 

Ah politics - you just can't avoid it!! But probably no chance of a "democracy sausage" on Sunday, I reckon....