Midori Matsushima

Japanese politician (1956–present)

松島みどり

Matsushima in 2013

Minister of JusticeIn office
3 September 2014 – 20 October 2014Prime MinisterShinzō AbePreceded bySadakazu TanigakiSucceeded byYōko KamikawaMember of the House of Representatives

Incumbent

Assumed office
19 December 2012In office
26 June 2000 – 21 July 2009 Personal detailsBorn

Midori Baba

(1956-07-15) 15 July 1956 (age 68)
Toyonaka, JapanPolitical partyLiberal Democratic PartyAlma materUniversity of TokyoOccupationReporter, politician

Midori Matsushima (松島みどり, Matsushima Midori; born 15 July 1956) also known by her real official name Midori Baba (馬場みどり, Baba Midori) is a Japanese politician. Who served as Japan's Minister of Justice in 2014, she later resigned in the same year after an allegation of violating electoral laws by distributing paper fans to voters.^[1]

Overview

Matsushima, hailing from Hyogo Prefecture and an alumnus of the University of Tokyo, initially worked for the Japanese national newspaper Asahi Shimbun from 1980 to 1995. Following an unsuccessful election attempt in 1996, she was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000, and subsequently re-elected in 2003 and 2005.^[2] She served as a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, representing Tokyo's 14th district in the Diet (national legislature) for seven times as of October 2022.^[3]^[4]

Resignation

Midori Matsushima resigned from her position as Japan’s Minister of Justice in October 2014 due to allegations of violating election laws. Specifically, she was accused of distributing paper fans, known as “uchiwa,” with her name and image on them to voters, which was considered a form of bribery under Japanese election law. This controversy led to significant political pressure, ultimately resulting in her resignation.^[1]^[5]

Reference

^ ^a ^b Sieg, Linda (October 20, 2014). "Japan's Minister of Justice face Allegations". www.independent.co.uk.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "政治家情報～松島みどり～". 2007-12-03. Archived from the original on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
^ "Tokyo 14th district", Wikipedia, 2024-08-07, retrieved 2024-09-04
^ "MATSUSHIMA_Midori_Shugiin". www.shugiin.go.jp. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
^ "Japan ministers Yuko Obuchi and Midori Matsushima quit". BBC News. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2024-09-04.