Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) visited Japan this month to discuss policy, but a jog through central Tokyo dominated headlines at home after onlookers noticed a bulky shape under his running clothes.
What Happened During His Jog In Tokyo
Shen, a Democratic Progressive Party legislator running for Taipei mayor, traveled to Japan from September 11 to 14 with three stated goals: parliamentary diplomacy with Japanese lawmakers, city-to-city diplomacy, and the launch of an overseas support association for his campaign. On the morning of September 12, he headed out near Tokyo's Imperial Palace grounds to try out a Japanese "sports waystation," a facility that lets runners rent gear and use changing and storage services before and after exercising outdoors.
While jogging, Shen was filmed hurrying back toward the facility, saying he was running behind schedule and needed to get back to change. Sharp-eyed viewers of the footage noticed his chest and back appeared unusually bulky under his shirt, and speculation quickly spread online that he was wearing body armor.
Testing A Policy He Wants To Bring To Taipei
The outing was not just exercise. Shen has proposed setting up similar "sports waystations" in Taipei, near MRT stations, parks and mountain trailheads, offering runners and hikers a place to store belongings, change clothes and wash up. His visit to the Tokyo facility was framed as hands-on research, and he used the trip to interview both Taiwanese and Japanese runners about what they actually want from this kind of infrastructure before bringing a version of it home.
Why Shen Says He Always Wears The Vest Abroad
Asked directly about the bulge under his shirt, Shen did not deny it. He confirmed he was wearing a bulletproof vest and said he wears one every time he travels outside Taiwan, including throughout a trip to the United States in July. He linked the precaution to the fact that Chinese authorities have placed him on a wanted list, saying that heightened personal security is simply part of being accountable to the voters who would elect him, and that he wants to avoid any mishap while representing them overseas.
The Political Backdrop Back Home
The Japan trip played out against an active mayoral race in Taipei. While abroad, Shen also took aim at incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an, saying he hoped "not responding" would not become Chiang's brand and pressing him to address local controversies over tree removals and the placement of sun shades in the city. Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, in turn, criticized Shen's campaign for what she called a lack of substantive policy debate.
Shen capped the visit by attending the founding assembly of an all-Japan support group for his campaign, telling supporters that international engagement is not separate from local governance, arguing that a city's outward-facing diplomacy and Taiwan's broader security are closely linked.
