is a Japanese

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served as the

President of the House of Councillors The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The President is elected by members of the Ho ...

of Japan from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she previously served as the Vice President of the House of Councillors from 2007 to 2010.

Background and career

A native of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and graduate of

Bunka Gakuin is a Japanese vocational school. It opened in 1921 as the first co-educational school in Japan. Alumni * Hisae Imai * Takako Irie * Liu Chi-hsiang * Yoko Mizuki * Akiko Santo * Akira Terao *Mitsu Yashima * Guan Zilan Guan Zilan (; January ...

, Santo is the grand-niece of

Kodama Ryōtarō Kodama may refer to: * Kodama (spirit), a spirit in Japanese folklore * Kodama (surname), a Japanese surname * Kodama (train), a Japanese bullet train service * Kodama, Saitama, a town located in Kodama District, Saitama, Japan * Kodama Station, ...

(September 1872 – October 25, 1921), a member of the House of Representatives. Santo was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1974 after working as an actress and reporter. Santo was Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment (Ohira Cabinet), and Minister of State and Director General of Science and Technology Agency (Kaifu Cabinet, 1990–91). She became Vice President of the House of Councillors in 2007, and chaired the Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses of the Diet.

The Senkaku episode

Santo played a role in the sale of 3 of the

Senkaku Islands The are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They are located northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are known in main ...

. She'd known the landowner (Kurihara family) for 30 years, and in 2011 he told her that he wanted to sell to Tokyo Governor

Shintaro Ishihara was a Japanese politician and writer who was Governor of Tokyo from 1999 to 2012. Being the former leader of the radical right Japan Restoration Party, he was one of the most prominent ultranationalists in modern Japanese politics. An ultranat ...

(whose nationalistic book he liked), instead of to the Government and Prime Minister

Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the House of Representatives (lower house) in the Diet (national legislature). He was named to succeed Naoto K ...

. The later proposed land swap, the former cash, and eventually the state bought the land for $25.5 million in 2012. Like Ishihara, Santo is affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby

Nippon Kaigi The Right side up ...

, which claims Japan's ownership of these islands,Nippon Kaigi website that are also claimed by China (as Diaoyu).

References

External links

* in Japanese. {{DEFAULTSORT:Santo, Akiko Government ministers of Japan Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Women government ministers of Japan Female members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Japanese actresses Japanese actor-politicians Members of Nippon Kaigi Living people 1942 births Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)