Abstract This study analyzes six Japanese election rally speeches delivered in 2025 to address two research questions: (1) which rhetorical strategies leaders employ to elicit affiliative audience responses (e.g., applause, cheers, laughter), and (2) how these strategies co-occur with distinct emotional appeals, including anger, fear/anxiety, enthusiasm, and pride. Central to the discussion is the proposition that political speeches are a form of dialogue between the speaker and the audience, and that emotional appeals employed during political campaigns significantly influence electoral judgment and behavior. The results indicate a potential shift in campaign persuasion strategies in Japan, wherein politicians increasingly prefer to address political and policy issues, rather than utilizing discourse to reinforce their social networks and foster a sense of belonging to a particular group. Additionally, distinct emotions such as anger, fear, and enthusiasm are found to be intrinsically linked to rhetorical devices used by political communicators.
Kinoshita et al. (Mon,) studied this question.