総裁選「あつ森」活用を中断　規約違反の指摘相次ぐ―石破氏

　自民党総裁選に出馬する石破茂元幹事長の陣営は６日、プレーヤーがオンラインで交流する任天堂のゲームソフト「あつまれ　どうぶつの森」で、告示日の８日から「選挙活動」を展開すると発表した。しかし、政治活動を制限した同社の利用規約に抵触する可能性があると、インターネット上などで指摘が相次ぎ、確認のため計画をいったん中断した。
　新型コロナウイルス対策の外出自粛下でヒットした商品で、一般の暮らしにも通じているとアピールする狙いがあったとみられるが、出だしでつまずいた格好だ。
　「あつ森」はプレーヤーが住む島を自由にデザインし、互いに行き来する内容。石破氏をモデルにした「いしばちゃん」と「じみん島（とう）」が登場し、石破氏の似顔絵ポスター貼りを呼び掛け、協力してくれたプレーヤーの島を訪問する予定だった。（2020/09/06-20:59）

Shigeru Ishiba, a candidate in the leadership race for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has suspended his plan to conduct campaign activities on Nintendo Co.'s popular online game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," his camp said.
   The camp for Ishiba, former secretary-general of the LDP, said Sunday he will start the campaign activities on the game on Tuesday, when the party race will officially kicks off. But it said later in the day that the plan was put on hold amid concerns that it may violate the game maker's terms of use regarding political activity for the game.
   In the game, which has become a hit due to many people staying home amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, players live on an island which they can design themselves, and users can visit each other's islands.
   In the campaign, Ishiba-chan, a character modeled after Ishiba, was slated to visit the islands of players who cooperated in putting up posters of his portrait. The island of "Jiminto," which is homophonic with the abbreviation of the official Japanese name for the LDP, was also slated to appear in the campaign using the game.
   The election to choose the LDP's next president, who will effectively succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will take place on Sept. 14. Ishiba, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida will vie for the top party post.