If you are familiar with names like Hideyoshi Hashiba, Mac Akasaka, Dr. NakaMats, Jesus Matayoshi, GaaSyy and AI Mayor you¡¯re probably a Japan elections geek.

Japan has a track record of attracting unconventional candidates who aren¡¯t necessarily keen on being elected, but instead hope to get their own messages ¡ª often unrelated to traditional politics ¡ª out to the public through campaigning.

But Sunday¡¯s election was notably missing those oddball candidates ¡ª colorful characters that are hard to miss on NHK¡¯s official election broadcast, election board posters and official election broadsheets that are delivered to every household.