The Next Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture

Comedian Sonomanma Higashi was elected Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture this Sunday. Americans may know him as "Kenny Blankenship" from Spike TV's "MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" (a show put together out of old footage from the 1980's series Takeshi's Castle). He originally hails from the city of Miyakonojo, right next door to the town where I used to live. He was junior high school classmates with my former JET program supervisor, and rumor has it he may have sent her a love letter once.

Higashi, who was not endorsed by any political party, defeated four other candidates including a former Director General of the Forestry Agency and a former Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry official backed by both the LDP and New Komeito party.

Miyazaki is a beautiful place, and my favorite Prefecture in all of Japan, but lately it has been plagued by political scandal. The last Governor resigned in December and has since been arrested on charges of bid-rigging and bribery. So congratulations, Mr. Higashi, and good luck. I hope this works out better than the failed celebrity Governors we've had in the US recently.