AllMovie

Documentary filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda offers a revealing examination of modern democracy with this cinéma vérité-style look at how political connections have a curious way of trumping actual experience. Kazuhiko Yamauchi was a stamp and coin dealer with little charisma and even less political pedigree. Backed by the political powerhouse of Prime Minister Koizumi and his Liberal Democratic Party, however, the man who would have little hope of taking office on his own merit suddenly becomes the dark horse candidate to watch. As election day draws near, the events that unfold offer fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Japanese political machine.