Nagano ¨C In one of the final scenes of the documentary ¡°Noto Democracy,¡± director and journalist Yukio Iokibe looks Koki Yoshimura, the mayor of Ishikawa Prefecture¡¯s Anamizu, directly in the eyes.
Iokibe had just confronted the mayor about the celebratory money Yoshimura gifted a newly elected council member ¡ª a clear violation of the Public Offices Election Act, but a tradition quietly passed down among local politicians.
¡°As a local journalist, I trust and believe you will change these customs for the better,¡± he tells Yoshimura, who shifts in his seat but nods. The exchange is sharp but laced with hope.
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