- Kiyomi Tsujimoto
Infobox Politician
name = Kiyomi Tsujimoto
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office = Member of the House of Representatives
term_start =October 20 ,1996
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birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|4|28|mf=y
birth_place = Nara
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party = Social Democratic Party
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alma_mater =Waseda University
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website = [http://www.kiyomi.gr.jp/ kiyomi.gr.jp/]
footnotes =Kiyomi Tsujimoto (辻元清美 "Tsujimoto Kiyomi") (born
28 April 1960 ) is aJapan esepolitician from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), formerly theJapan Socialist Party .Early career
Born in the city of
Nara, Nara , Tsujimoto graduated from the Department of Education atWaseda University inTokyo .While still an undergraduate in
1983 , Tsujimoto founded thePeace Boat with fellow university students andpacifist activists, such asMakoto Oda , the Representative of "Beheiren " (""Betonamu ni Heiwa o Shimin Rengo" — Citizen's League for Peace in Vietnam). Peace Boat is a grass-roots international friendship organization, 'works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment' by organizing educational global voyage. [ [http://www.peaceboat.org/english/wtpb/index.html PEACE BOAT - What is Peace Boat ] ] With its growing international recognition and support, it attained the Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. As a Japan-based group it criticizes the Japanese government's silence on its aggressive past; the Peace Boat's first voyage was to countries that had been invaded by Japan inWorld War II and it has consistently worked for reconciliation between Japan and these countries. Its passengers also metYasser Arafat several times; because of its support for the Palestinian causes,Israel refused the Peace Boat entry into the country in2002 . Tsujimoto also worked inOsaka as anon-profit organization coordinator, and attended theEarth Summit held inRio de Janeiro in1992 representing an NGO.Political career
In
1994 , theJapan Socialist Party (JSP) came to power underTomiichi Murayama , in a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and theNew Party Sakigake . However the LDP returned to power in1996 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 inOsaka , 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 theWorld 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". [ [http://ware.admin-man.net/2005/data-room/tsuzimoto_001.htm GIRLS BE POLITICAL!] ]candal, resignation, and comeback
Kiyomi Tsujimoto was one of the chief antagonists of the beleaguered
Muneo Suzuki during the scandals that emerged in2002 . Suzuki was ultimately jailed for fraud.But, as a result of internal tensions between newcomers and veterans in the SDP, a staff member of the
Democratic Party of Japan who had formerly worked for the SDP accused Tsujimoto of using her secretary's government salary to cover campaign expenses. Tsujimoto admitted unauthorised use of funds, resigned her seat in the Diet, and was given a suspended sentence.Her political career was not over. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the
House of Councillors in the11 July 2004 elections, but won a proportional representation seat for the House of Representatives in the11 September 2005 elections that also returnedPrime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to power.Suzuki's political fate has run parallel to Tsujimoto's. He also ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for a seat in the House of Councillors but was subsequently elected to the House of Representatives in
2005 .References
External links
* [http://www.peaceboat.org/ Peace Boat Web site]
* [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/news/nn08-2005/nn20050817a6.htm "Tsujimoto throws her hat into ring"] ,17 August ,2005 , "The Japan Times "
* [http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/archive/news/2002/20020328p2g00m0dm999000c.html "Tsujimoto bares teeth, licks wounds"]28 March ,2002 , "Mainichi Daily News"
* [http://www.fccj.or.jp/modules/wfsection/article.php?category=2&start=150&articleid=281 What's all this, eh?] by Eric Johnston, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
* [http://www.fccj.or.jp/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=305&category=1 Kiyomi Tsujimoto, part II] by Eric Johnston, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
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