Mitsuo Matayoshi (又吉 光雄, Matayoshi Mitsuo, February 5, 1944 – July 20, 2018), also known as Jesus Matayoshi (又吉 イエス, Matayoshi Iesu) or The Only God Matayoshi Jesus Christ (唯一神又吉光雄・イエス・キリスト, Yui'itsu-shin Matayoshi Mitsuo Iesu Kirisuto) was a *anese political activist known for his perennial candidacy. He was the leader and founder of the World Economic Community Party (世界経済共同体党 (Sekai Keizai Kyōdōtai-tō)).

He was born in Ginowan, Okinawa on February 5, 1944. After graduating from Chuo University in Tokyo in 1968, he moved back to Okinawa and ran a juku, a private school. Matayoshi was trained as a Protestant preacher, and through his religious studies developed a particular concept of Christianity strongly influenced by eschatology. In 1997, he established the World Economic Community Party, a political party based on his conviction that he was God. His concept was both religious and political, a mix of Christian eschatology like Augustine's De civitate Dei ("City of God") and conservative collectivism. He died from illness on July 20, 2018.

Contents

• 1 Political program
• 2 Elections
  • 2.1 Unsuccessful candidacies
• 3 See also
• 4 References
• 5 External links

Political program

According to his programme he would have executed the Last Judgment as Christ, but within the current political system. His first step was to have been appointed the Prime Minister of *an. Then he would have reformed *anese society and be offered the post of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Matayoshi would then have reigned over the whole world with two legitimate authorities, not only religious but also political. The world economic system would have been altered to encourage every nation to be self-sufficient, based on agriculture. He condemned permanent residency and the naturalisation of foreigners because he viewed the abandonment of one's motherland to be wrong. He wanted ethnically non-*anese people to go back to their ancestral homeland even if they were born in *an. He wanted the USA to withdraw its army from all overseas positions, including Okinawa. After his Judgment he would have thrown the corrupt into the Fire (see Book of Revelation).

Elections

Matayoshi presented himself as a candidate in many elections from 1997 through to 2013, despite winning none of them. He became well-known for his eccentric campaigns in which he urged opponents to commit suicide by hara-kiri (disembowelment; note that he avoided the more polite seppuku) and said that he will cast them into Gehenna. Like most *anese politicians, he campaigned in a single small regulation size mini-van fitted with oversized loudspeakers. Unlike most, however, he blasted his campaign slogans in a stylised, kabuki-inspired voice.

Unsuccessful candidacies

• Mayor of Ginowan election (1997)
• 1998 *anese House of Councillors election (Okinawa at-large district)
• Governor of Okinawa Prefecture election (1998)
• Mayor of Ginowan election (2001)
• Mayor of Nago election (2002)
• Governor of Okinawa Prefecture election (2002)
• 2003 *anese general election (Tokyo 1st district)
• 2004 *anese House of Councillors election (Tokyo at-large district)
• 2005 *anese general election (Tokyo 1st district)
• 2007 *anese House of Councillors election (Tokyo at-large district)
• 2009 *anese general election (Tokyo 1st district)
• 2010 *anese House of Councillors election (Tokyo at-large district)
• 2013 *anese House of Councillors election (Tokyo at-large district)
• 2014 *anese general election (Tokyo 1st district)
• 2016 *anese House of Councillors election (Tokyo at-large district)
• 2017 *anese general election (Tokyo 1st district)

See also

• God complex
• List of people claimed to be Jesus
• List of messiah claimants

References

External links

• Mainichi article featuring him and other unusual candidates
• Official website (in *anese)
• Unofficial website (in *anese)
• Matayoshi campaign poster with English translation
• 2Spare – Top 10 Most Eccentric People you didn't know