, real name (born ; 10 May 1933 – 9 March 2023), was a Japanese actress and politician. During her 30-year-long political career, she served in various important governmental posts, and became the first female President of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

, a role she held from 2004 to 2007. Her pseudonymous surname is also spelled Ogi, Ōgi and Ohgi for a variety of Hepburn romanization systems. She herself used Oogi.

Early life

Oogi was born and brought up in

Kobe, Hyogo Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in the Kansai re ...

. She survived the Kobe Air Raid at age 11. She wrote later that her experience of the air raid had convinced her to make efforts to attain

peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

and

national defense National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived ...

.Chikage Oogi, ''Dekiru Koto Deki nai Koto'', Sekaibunkasha,

Stage career

Oogi graduated from Takarazuka Music School and joined the

Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...

in April 1954. Her first movie appearance was in October of that year. She retired from the revue in 1958. Oogi had been a full-time

homemaker Homemaking is mainly an American English, American and Canadian English, Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational ...

for a year until she returned to work in a television drama on 29 October 1959, and later appeared on many television dramas and variety shows. She also hosted a popular tabloid show ''

Sanji no Anata Sanji may refer to: * Changji or Sanji, city in Xinjiang, China * Sanji, Fujian, village in Nanping, Fujian, China * Sanji (director), Sanji Senaka, an American music video director * Sanji (given name), a masculine Japanese given name * Sanji ...

'' from 1971 to 1977. One of her co-hosts was Yoshiko Ōtaka, who was elected to the House of Councillors in 1974.

Political career

Strenuously lobbied to run by

Takeo Fukuda was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978. Born in Gunma Prefecture and educated at Tokyo Imperial University, Fukuda served as an official in the Ministry of Finance for two decades before entering pol ...

, Oogi first elected to the House of Councillors as a member of the

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

in 1977. She was voted out in 1989, but elected again in 1993. The following year she left the LDP and joined the

Japan Renewal Party The was a Japanese political party that existed in the early 1990s. It was founded in 1993 by 44 members of the Liberal Democratic Party led by Tsutomu Hata and Ichirō Ozawa. It was instrumental in ending the LDP's 38-year dominance of Japanes ...

, which merged into the New Frontier Party on 10 December 1994. The NFP torn up on 31 December 1997, Oogi became a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, stringing along with

Ichirō Ozawa is a Japanese politician and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1969, representing the Iwate 3rd district (Iwate 2nd district prior to the 1996 general election and Iwate 4th district prior to the 2017 general election). H ...

. It was in 2000 that Oogi came to the forefront. She founded the Conservative Party, renamed the New Conservative Party soon, and became its first leader in April.

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

Yoshiro Mori appointed Oogi as Minister of Construction and Director General of the

National Land Agency National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

in July, and also as

Minister of Transportation A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

and Director General of Hokkaido Development Agency in December. When these ministries and agencies merged into the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as a result of the administrative reform of 2001, Oogi was installed as its first minister. She drew the nameboard displayed at the entrance of the building of the ministry with black ink and a brush. The New Conservative Party's debacle at the House of Councillors election in July 2001 heightened calls among party members for a change in leadership. Oogi resigned as party leader and was succeeded by

Takeshi Noda is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Background and career A native of Tokyo and graduate of the University of Tokyo h ...

on 17 September 2001. Oogi joined the Liberal Democratic Party in 2003 again for the first time since 1977. She was installed as the 26th President of the House of Councillors on 30 July 2004. She attended at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments held by the

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; , UIP) is an international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other initiatives include advancing g ...

in September 2005. In October 2006 she made an official visit to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. In May 2007, Oogi announced her retirement from politics in July so that she could lead an ordinary life with her family. Her term of office expired on 28 July 2007.

Political views

Constitution

Oogi has critical views against the

Constitution of Japan The Constitution of Japan is the supreme law of Japan. Written primarily by American civilian officials during the occupation of Japan after World War II, it was adopted on 3 November 1946 and came into effect on 3 May 1947, succeeding the Meij ...

of 1947. She has said that the constitution has many problems such as ignoring environmental rights, obfuscating the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and its international contribution to keep peace, and excessively protecting

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

s while making light of crime victims'

human right Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...

s. She also made a controversial remark: "The Constitution of Japan deprived Japanese women of their graces of character."

Transfer of capital functions

A suggestion to transfer some

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

functions out of Tokyo came under review in 1990s to solve the problem posed by the overconcentration of people in Tokyo. Oogi, who was the Minister of Construction in charge of this issue, expressed opposition to the transfer in September 2000. Her opposition created conflicts with Prime Minister Mori and with the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

s of the candidate cities.

Imperial succession

Upon Prince Hisahito's birth in September 2006, Oogi suggested that the lawmakers take a cautious attitude toward the Government's move to allow female and matrilineal succession of the

Imperial Throne Imperial is that which relates to an empire, Emperor, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania ...

. She appreciated Princess Akishino for her third deliverance in this day of declining

birthrate Birth rate, also known as natality, is the total number of live human births per 1,000 population for a given period divided by the length of the period in years. The number of live births is normally taken from a universal registration syste ...

and said "We women would like to look to her as a model."

Tokyo International Airport

In 2000, Oogi proposed that Tokyo International Airport expand the international air service.

Narita Airport , also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or simply Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as , is the secondary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the only other one being Haneda Airport (HND). It is about e ...

, second busiest airport in

Tokyo metropolitan area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

, which almost monopolized international flight service to Tokyo, is so distant from central Tokyo that there has long been a strong call among

Japanese people are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago. Japanese people constitute 97.4% of the population of the country of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 125 million people are of Japanese descent, making them list of contempora ...

for international air service of Tokyo Airport. Oogi's proposal was welcomed by then-Tokyo Governor

Shintaro Ishihara was a Japanese politician and writer, who served as the Governor of Tokyo Metropolis, Governor of Tokyo from 1999 to 2012. Being the former leader of the Far-right politics, radical right Sunrise Party, later merged with Toru Hashimoto's Japan ...

Personal life and death

In October 1958, Oogi married to

Sakata Tōjūrō IV was a Japanese kabuki actor in the Kamigata style and was officially designated a Living National Treasure (Japan), Living National Treasure. Unlike most kabuki actors, he performed both male and female roles, and was renowned as both a skilled ...

, a

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actor. They had two sons, Tomotaro (b. 6 February 1959) and Hirotaro (b. 19 December 1960), who are also both

actors, following in their father's path. She had long hoped to have daughters or granddaughters possibly to be a Takarazuka actress. Oogi's husband was notorious as a womanizer, as he admitted. Interviewed about his love affair with a

maiko A is an apprentice geiko in Kyoto (in Tokyo it is geisha). Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as . are usually aged 17 ...

, which was exposed in a tabloid magazine in 2002, Oogi answered "I know that girl. She is intelligent and I favor her too," adding "A husband not attractive to women would be boring." Her husband, Sakata Tōjūrō IV died of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...

at the hospital in Tokyo on 12 November 2020, at the age of 88. About three years later, Oogi died of

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer (American English) or oesophageal cancer (British English) is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include dysphagia, difficulty in swallowing and weigh ...

at the hospital in Tokyo on 9 March 2023, at the age of 89. Old couple's death were both unrelated to triple Fukushima disaster and COVID-19 and Omicron infections. The announcement of her death to the media was delayed until 13 March 2023.

Honours

* Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese honors system, Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge feat ...

, 2003. * Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon, 2008. * Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Paulownia Flowers The is an Order (decoration), order presented by the Japanese government. The award was established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun and has been an Order in its own right since 2003. The ...

, 2010.

Filmography

* '' Kaiketsutaka'' Series, 1954 * '' Onna no Gakkō'', 1955 * '' Hatsukoi Waltz'', 1955 * '' Shirai Gonpachi'', 1956 * '' Shippū! Kurama Tengu'', 1956 * '' Hakoiri Musume to Bantō'', 1956 * '' Koi sugata kitsune goten'' (恋すがた狐御殿) (1956) * '' Otoko no Hanamichi'', 1956 * '' Ujō'', 1957 * '' Bibō no Miyako'', 1957 * '' A Teapicker's Song of Goodbye'', 1957 * '' A Farewell to the Woman Called My Sister'', 1957 * '' Hanayome wa Matteiru'', 1957 * '' Seishun Kōro'', 1957 * ''

A Holiday in Tokyo A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'', 1958 * ''

Salaryman Shusse Taikōki The term is a Japanese word for salary, salaried workers. In Japanese popular culture, it is portrayed as a white-collar worker who shows unwavering loyalty and commitment to his employer, prioritizing work over anything else, including family. ...

'', 1958 * '' Mikkokusha wa Dare ka'', 1958 * '' Sanroku'', 1962 * '' Mujō Hijō'', 1968 * '' Profound Desires of the Gods'', 1968

References

* Chikage Oogi, ''Ketsudan no Toki'', Sekaibunkasha, 2007, * Kyoko Shimazaki, ''Kono Kuni de Onna de Aru to Iu Koto'', Kyoiku Shiryo Shuppankai, 2001, * ''

Yomiuri Shimbun The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ''The Asahi Shimbun'', the ''Chunichi Shimbun'', the ''Ma ...

Morning Edition'', 28 July 2007

External links

* *
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
- Introduction by the Cabinet {{DEFAULTSORT:Oogi, Chikage 1933 births 2023 deaths Deaths from esophageal cancer in Japan Hayashi family Ministers of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism of Japan Ministers of construction of Japan Ministers of transport of Japan Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Women government ministers of Japan Women members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Japanese actresses Japanese actor-politicians People from Kobe Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians New Conservative Party (Japan) politicians Japan Renewal Party politicians New Frontier Party (Japan) politicians 20th-century Japanese women politicians 21st-century Japanese politicians 21st-century Japanese women politicians Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun Recipients of the Order of Brilliant Star Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)