Today is election day in Japan, where we're likely to see the DPJ take power away from the LDP for the first time in a long while and hopefully set Japan on a new course of action, and finally establish Japan as an actual two-party system -- well, sort of.

In the midst of all this is one party, the Happiness Realization Party, that hopes to change things for Japan. Mutantfrog Travelogue pointed me to this piece from the Irish Times that summarizes the party's views and goals. Amongst them:

Multiply Japan’s population by 2.5 to 300 million, overtake the US to become the world’s premier power, and rapidly rearm for conflict with North Korea and China. If elected, its lawmakers will inject religion into all areas of life and fight to overcome Japan’s “colonial” mentality, which has “fettered” the nation’s true claim to global leadership.

Wow, that's...ambitious. I guess they can have these sort of goals because the party leader Ryuho Okawa speaks to the spirit of deceased Emperor Hirohito. And so, he's trying to militarize the country in order to protect it from Kim Jong-il's planned nuclear strike on Tokyo. Why? Because Christ, Buddha, Confucious and Muhammad all said Japan was the world's greatest nation and needs to militarize.

You're guaranteed to enjoy the Irish Times piece, which includes a lot of off-the-wall beliefs of the group, at least what some are stating. The HRP has fielded members in just about every district in the hopes of winning seats here or there, although it's unlikely that they'll pick up many at all.

Oh, and check out their propaganda video after the jump. If you're still interested in them, they've got their manifesto up on their English website.