is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

writer, journalist and politician from the

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan The (CDP or CDPJ) is a social-liberal political party in Japan. It was founded in October 2017 as a split from the Democratic Party ahead of the 2017 general election. In late 2020, the party was re-founded following a merger with majori ...

. He served two terms as a member of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or ...

after being elected in 2010 and in 2016 and serving as Chair of the Special Committee on Political Ethics and Election System, but lost his seat in 2022. Before he was elected, he was a regular commentator of Nippon Television's ''The Wide''. He is one of the most prominent

anti-racism Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...

activists in Japan. He is also known for his investigations into religious groups such as

Unification Church The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or " Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Sp ...

and Aum Shinri-kyo.

References

1952 births Living people People from Kyoto Japanese writers Japanese political journalists Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan politicians Democratic Party of Japan politicians Anti-racism activists Ritsumeikan University alumni {{Japan-politician-1950s-stub