Former Japanese Bosozoku Member and Ginza Club Waiter Elected City Councilor: "Sincerity Worked"

Candidate Nishimoto Makoto Born in 1986
Elected as Independent by Appealing as 'Young Blood'
Overcoming Personal History Controversy with Sincerity

'Account suspension 9 times due to SNS controversies. The man of the hour. His name is Super Crazy Gun.'

In Japan, which held the latter half of the unified local elections the previous day, an unexpected figure was elected, drawing attention. The 1986-born independent candidate Nishimoto Makoto, known as 'Super Crazy Gun,' referred to himself on his official candidate website as the 'famous man with 9 account suspensions.' Despite criticism that he 'trivializes politics' and the conservative atmosphere of Japanese politics, he ultimately secured a city council seat. Japanese media also focused on this upset, analyzing that his steady demonstration of commitment to young politics, overcoming his controversial past, moved voters.

'Super Crazy Gun' who ran for Tokyo Governor election in 2020 wearing special forces uniform. (Photo by Makoto Nishimoto SNS)

On the 24th, Yomiuri Shimbun reported that in the Miyazaki city council election, candidate Nishimoto received 4,195 votes, ranking second and successfully winning his first term. In Japan, the number of local assembly members is determined according to local government ordinances. For cities with populations between 20,000 and less than 50,000, the standard is to elect 26 members, increasing the number by four members per population bracket. Members are then elected based on vote ranking up to the allocated number for the municipality.

This time, the Miyazaki city council has 40 seats, with a total of 61 candidates running, and the top 40 by vote share received council badges. Nishimoto ranked second among the 61 candidates, earning praise for his strong performance. News of his election, given his very unusual background, was quickly reported by various media outlets.

Candidate Nishimoto grew up under a Yakuza father and had a troubled childhood. In his teens, he was active as a bosozoku (motorcycle gang member), a background rarely seen in Japanese politics. The candidate name 'Super Crazy Gun' registered on the voter list is derived from his bosozoku nickname.

After becoming an adult, he worked as a club waiter in Ginza, Tokyo, before challenging himself to enter politics. In the conservative Japanese political scene, where electoral districts are often inherited by elite families, he was truly a newcomer who could never have entered politics.

Having tasted defeat once in the 2020 Tokyo gubernatorial election, this time he relied on sincerity. In the previous election, he attracted internet attention by campaigning in a Mercedes-Benz campaign car, sporting blonde hair and a white special attack uniform, but this was only a fleeting sensation and he did not achieve a meaningful vote share to be recognized as a political newcomer.

'Super Crazy Gun' campaigning during the election. (Photo by Nishimoto Makoto SNS)

Since then, starting with his candidacy in last year's Miyazaki prefectural governor election, Nishimoto returned to a more rookie politician demeanor. In this election, he campaigned in a suit rather than a special attack uniform.

Notably, after losing the election, Nishimoto took the high school equivalency exam and enrolled in the Department of Political Science and Economics at Nihon University, showing his commitment to studying politics properly, which began to win over voters. He consistently targeted the young generation in his hometown of Miyazaki, pledging free medical expenses for children, subsidies for children's learning support, and free school meals. In particular, the learning support subsidy provided vouchers worth 10,000 yen (approximately 99,000 won) per month, allowing children to attend private academies outside of school, which became a hot topic among young parents.

Election pledge poster of 'Super Crazy Gun.' It promised free medical care for children, support for learning expenses, and free school meals. (Photo by Miyajima Prefecture Official Website)

During the campaign, he appealed, “There needs to be at least one person in the city council with the ability to communicate and act to convey Miyazaki’s story nationwide. We can’t have only foolish class president types.” Ultimately, gaining both approachability and political weight seemed to be the key to his election.

In an interview with Nikkan Sports, he said, "As a completely independent candidate without party backing, I showed that young people can do it." He also expressed his intention to take politics seriously going forward. He announced that as a city council member, he will use his real name instead of the controversial candidate name Super Crazy Gun.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.