One of the most decisive landslide victories in the political history of Japan was achieved by Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu in March 1915. His election campaign catalysed the mediatisation of Japanese politic(ian)s. In its centre, Ōkuma resided as a carefully crafted political persona and as a populist, charismatic orator. Ichishima Kenkichi, head of the Count Ōkuma Support Association, resorted to a media strategy unprecedented in Japan, which involved the first major case of distributing records of a political speech and speeches held at train stations in dramatic, ‘auratic performances’ (Richard Bauman). The article investigates the campaign in detail and argues that its media strategy was driven by the necessity to counter persistent pork-barrel politics but depended on a charismatic political persona and on time-specific circumstances to such an extent that in its aftermath—for at least a decade—no similar media usage was seen in the political history of Japan.

日本政治史上最具决定性的压倒性胜利之一是 1915 年 3 月首相大隈重信取得的。他的竞选活动促进了日本政治家的调解。在其中心，大隈作为一个精心打造的政治人物和一个民粹主义、魅力四射的演说家而存在。大隈伯爵支援协会会长市岛健吉采取了日本史无前例的媒体策略，其中涉及分发政治演讲记录和在火车站举行的戏剧性“光环表演”的首个重大案例（理查德·鲍曼） .