For Kan Suzuki, a tech-savvy Upper House member, the Internet is a powerful campaign tool that he can use to help him win a third term at a time when his party is facing so much adversity.
Support for the former Keio University assistant professor has been dwindling as the embattled Democratic Party of Japan struggles to remake itself after being ousted from power in the Lower House election last year.
Despite the drubbing, Suzuki sees a silver lining in the advent of Internet campaigning, which will let voters launch Web drives for candidates. Suzuki, in fact, is one of the nation's online political pioneers, having launched his own Web-casting station, Suzuki Kan TV (dubbed Suzukan TV) in 2001.