Baby kissing has never been a feature of election campaigns in Japan, where door-to-door canvassing is forbidden, walkabouts generally loathed, and speeches delivered from the safety of a minibus roof.
Now, though, even a handshake appears out of the question as Japan attempts to slow the spread of swine flu.
Not all candidates are shunning physical contact with the great unwashed, however. Makiko Fujino of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) takes a disinfectant spray to her rallies – to reassure others, she insists – while Katsuhiko Kawamura, a Democratic party of Japan (DPJ) hopeful, has helpfully promised not to shower voters with spittle during particularly heartfelt rooftop exhortations.
