Natsumi Sakai (37), a new member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, secured her victory in the by-election for Tokyo’s 15th Ward of the House of Representatives held on the 28th, smiling at her office.
On the night of the 28th, Natsumi Sakai (right), who secured her first election in the Tokyo 15th Ward by-election for the House of Representatives, exchanges a hug with her supporters (Photo by Naoko Yuki)
He defeated eight candidates, including independent newcomer Hiromasa Ototake (48), who overcame cancer treatment and was supported by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.
He will take up national politics based on his own experiences, such as balancing medical treatment and work.
◆“Solve your problems”
When she was 28 years old and working as a midwife at a hospital in Koto Ward, where she had moved after getting married, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy and continued her work.
Natsumi Sakai of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on April 16th in Koto Ward
I felt a sense of kinship when I learned that a woman of my generation was running for the Koto Ward assembly election in April 2015. She decided that “I might be able to solve some of my problems through politics, such as high medical costs and balancing treatment and work.” She decided to take part in the next election. She was first elected to the district council in 2019.
◆Infertility treatment too
“I thought there was a breath of fresh air,” with the election of the ward’s first female ward mayor to be held in the spring of 2023, and the start of consideration for the introduction of a same-sex partnership system, but the ward’s mayor resigned due to a violation of the Public Offices Election Act.
Encouraged by his supporters, he resigned from the ward assembly and ran for mayor. Although he lost the election, he remained convinced that “women’s voices are not being heard in politics,” and so he challenged this by-election. With the support of the Communist Party, which withdrew its candidacy, he gained a ticket to national politics.
She says she is happiest spending time with her first daughter, who she received after undergoing infertility treatment.
Tags: kind person Natsumi Sakai member Constitutional Democratic Party win Tokyo #15th Ward byelection House Representatives overcomes illness enters national politics Tokyo Shimbun TOKYO Web
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