Guardian Review

Guardian reviewed CAMPAIGN! THE KAWASAKI CANDIDATE aired on BBC as a part of Why Democracy? series.

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Campaign! The Kawasaki Candidate (BBC4) was an impertinent delight. Kazuhiko Yamauchi was selling stamps when he was parachuted into Kawasaki City as the Liberal Democrat candidate. Not to be confused with the Democratic candidate, though both, you observe, plume themselves on their democratic credentials. Yamauchi was clear on two points: his name ("Repeat it every three seconds!") and the necessity of reform ("I'm for reform!"). On one unproductive night, he gave the smiling figure of Colonel Sanders his leaflet saying, "I'll advance reform." Reform of what, we know not.

"My plan was to become famous first, then run for office," he confided wistfully to college friends. "Celebrities do well." Being a nonenity, he was alternately snubbed and bullied by party officials. His wife, however, reacted to being bullied with some brio. They had one of those in-the-car conversations. Well, monologues, really.

"Someone told me I should give up my job. So I said, 'What if we lose? We'd both be out of a job.' Then they said 'Don't think about losing.' I nearly said, 'I'll quit my job when my husband's prime minister.' I tell you, right now, if we lose here, we'll be totally broke. And they're ignoring my human rights. It's so backward to tell me to be quiet! It's your fault! If you weren't so weak they wouldn't talk to me like that."

"Just pretend to listen," said Kazuhiko Yamauchi, who was just pretending to listen.

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