48Group Finally Goes Political: Former HKT48 Member Applies for Seijika Joshi 48

Yamamoto Mao, formerly of HKT48, announced Tuesday that she would be applying for the newly formed group, Seijika Joshi 48 Tou.

本日、私、山本茉央26歳
"政治家女子48党"公認候補者として
杉並区の選挙にチャレンジいたします。
杉並区の事をもっと知れる様に
お悩みや良き所など教えて
いただきたいです。皆様と一緒により良い街にしたいと考えています。
応援の程宜しくお願いいたします。
党の方針に従い勉強します。

— 山本茉央（杉並区議員選候補者予定） (@mao_y0918) December 13, 2022

Translated roughly as “Political Women’s 48 Party”, it aims to reinvigorate politics in Japan by using idols to raise interest in local elections across Japan.

*This color doesn’t look familiar at all /s*

Its formation and very blatant reference to AKB48 elections makes me think of how some in Japan would use the AKB48 elections (once widely popular events that would reach 30% viewership during a major timeslot in Japan) as foils for how corrupt and uninteresting the actual Japanese elections would be.