Kiyomi Tsujimoto - Political Career

Political Career

In 1994, the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) came to power under Tomiichi Murayama, in a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Party Sakigake. However the LDP returned to power in 1996 and the JSP collapsed, with most of its members eventually leaving to join the Democratic Party of Japan. Chairwoman Doi reformed the JSP into the Social Democratic Party (SDP); she personally asked Tsujimoto to run in Osaka, as a part of her reform of the SDP to increase representation of women and put stronger emphasis on grass-roots activism, and she was elected to the House of Representatives. As an opposition MP, she rose to fame as a vocal critic of the conservative, ruling Liberal Democratic Party and played an integral role in enacting legislations concerning domestic violence, gender equality, child pornography and activities of non-profit organizations. With growing popularity as a young, charismatic politician, she was chosen as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2000.

Tsujimoto has also argued for dialogue rather than confrontation with North Korea, proposing that the North Korean abductions of Japanese can best be solved by "embedding North Korea as a member of international society".