A growing number of
Japanese politicians are venturing into the cyberworld after a legal
change allowed the use of social media in campaigns, setting up Facebook
pages and Twitter accounts to woo voters before a July upper house
election.
But the app, which has the
imprimatur of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), goes further in its
effort to court tech-savvy youngsters, who tend to be apathetic about
politics and put off by traditional campaigns featuring white-gloved
politicians blaring their names and slogans over loudspeakers.
"There
were worries that some young people thought the LDP was distant, that
we lacked intimacy... that they didn't know anything about us," Takuya
Hirai, a lawmaker and head of the LDP's internet strategy team, told
Reuters.
"We're hoping the game will get people interested in politics in a way they never were before," Hirai said.
In
the game, called Abe Pyon - meaning Abe Hops - using a cutesy word most
often applied to rabbits - a business suit-clad Abe avatar bounds high
into the clouds via floating platforms. Missing a platform causes him to
plunge to his "death."
As he soars higher,
players rack up points, gaining access to facts about Abe and
information about the LDP. High scores also allow the avatar to change
clothes, whisking him his grey suit and into jeans or gym wear.
The ultimate prize is a bouncing Abe in a superhero cape.
Abe's
app is a rare venture for a world leader. Tech-savvy US President
Barack Obama featured in a superhero game in 2009, but it wasn't
officially endorsed.
Some voters said they felt fonder of Abe after playing.
"It really gets you thinking about politics. It makes me think I should vote for him," said Emi Yamada, a 22-year-old student.
Others were sceptical. "I reckon it's just a bit of fun and nothing more," said Mizuki Kimura.
Abe,
an avid Facebook user who rebounded to power for a rare second term in
December after his party's big win, is widely tipped to lead the ruling
bloc to victory in the election.
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