Fujitsu Limited conducted a joint data analysis project with Nikkei Inc., leveraging data analysis tools including Foundry from Palantir Technologies in order to provide new insights into the Japanese electoral process.
Drawing on the knowledge of Nikkei, the joint project aims to provide readers and voters with in-depth coverage that combines data from previous election results with region-specific data, including employment rates, demographic data, etc. as well as information about political candidates running for office in parliamentary elections. The insights obtained from these analyses will be published in the Nikkei starting October 17, 2021.
By gaining new insights from data, Fujitsu will further strengthen its efforts to drive “Digital Shifts” towards data-driven management models with the potential to innovate customers’ businesses, industries, and society.
Background
In contrast to many countries in the world, where news outlets provide extensive, data-centric analysis for major political events like presidential elections, Japanese media coverage often focuses more narrowly on the results of the elections rather than offering a broader analysis of the context and data informing citizens’ voting behavior and the final results of the election.
Data like voting rates, election results, and election related expenses in Japan are often difficult to analyze as electoral districts are not identical with administrative districts and electoral districts are frequently redistricted. This makes it challenging to offer coverage on the “bigger picture,” as data is hard to match with region-specific information like the demography and employment rate of administrative districts and information about candidates in the lower house elections.
To help address these challenges, Fujitsu and Political News Group of the Policy News Unit of Nikkei, Japan’s leading financial newspaper, jointly utilized a broad range of information including election related data held by Nikkei and data open to the public to analyze previous election results and voting behaviors in order to provide readers and voters with a new perspective through data-driven political coverage of elections.
