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Megumi Hirose

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Megumi Hirose
広瀬 めぐみ
Hirose in 2023
Member of the House of Councillors
In office
26 July 2022 – 15 August 2024
Preceded byEiji Kidoguchi
Succeeded byEiji Kidoguchi
ConstituencyIwate
Personal details
Born (1966-06-27) June 27, 1966 (age 58)[1]
Morioka, Iwate, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party (Shikōkai)
Alma materSophia University
OccupationPolitician, lawyer

Megumi Hirose (広瀬 めぐみ, Hirose Megumi, born June 27, 1966) is a Japanese politician and lawyer who served in the House of Councillors for Iwate Prefecture from 2022 to 2024. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She is the first LDP member to represent Iwate as a councilor since Motoo Shiina left the party in 1993.

History

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Hirose was born in Morioka in Iwate, to a family that ran the Hotel Odashima, the oldest in the Morioka area.[1][2] Her father died of an illness when she was eleven, leaving her to grow up in a single-parent household.[3] She graduated from the Iwate University Faculty of Education Junior High School, the Morioka First High School, and Sophia University Department of English.[1]

Her spouse is a lawyer and a former classmate, and she aspired to become a lawyer after being a housewife to him for a few years.[2] She passed the bar examination in 1999, and registered as a lawyer in 2001.[4]

In 2012, she gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on the "Status and situation of women in Japan".[1] On November 27th, in 2021, the Liberal Democratic Party Iwate Prefecture Union announced that it would endorse Hirose to contest the 2022 Councillors election in Iwate.[5]

She was elected in 2022, defeating incumbent Councillor Eiji Kidoguchi and three other minor party candidates by a margin of around 20k votes.[6][7] She became the first female Councillor from Iwate.[8] The election signaled a defeat for Ichirō Ozawas influence, who originated from the prefecture. She joined the Shikōkai faction in 2023.[9]

Political positions

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She is on the right-wing of the party, and strictly opposes same-sex marriage. She supports modifying Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to give more strength to the military, and believes that South Korea must give up more concessions when it comes to negotiations over the existence of comfort women. She also supports increasing the use of nuclear power.[10][11]

Controversies

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Relationship with Unification Church

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In May of 2022, she is said to have visited a church in Morioka City at the invitation of supporters of the former Unification Church and greeted the person in charge. Regarding the matter, the executive director of Hirose's office said, "We had no idea that this was an organization with problems such as inspirational marketing and donations."[12]

Affair report

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On the night of October 30, 2023, Hirose went with Canadian saxophonist Andy Wolfe from a restaurant in Shibuya to a love hotel in Kabukichō, and checked out the next morning. This was reported on in the seventh issue of the Shukan Shincho.[13][14]

In a direct interview on February 20, 2024, Hirose was asked if she had entered the love hotel. She responded, saying that "Well, I guess so. The photo was taken, so it can't be helped."[14]

Her website released a statement on the 29 February. "There have been reports about my relationship. I have lost the trust of the people who support me, caused inconvenience, and I am sorry to have betrayed the trust of my family. I sincerely apologize for what I caused[.]"[15][16]

Resignation

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In July 2024, authorities searched Hirose's residence and office after she admitted fraudulently paying salaries to a secretary who performed no duties. She subsequently resigned from the House of Councillors on August 15. A by-election to replace her was held as a part of the 2024 Japanese general election.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "プロフィール – 広瀬めぐみ オフィシャルサイト -いわてにめぐみ。-". Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  2. ^ a b "岩手 広瀬めぐみ氏（自新）「女性や子供の支援がしたい」". Iza. 産経デジタル. 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  3. ^ "岩手選挙区・広瀬めぐみ候補 30年間の雪辱を果たす". 自由民主. 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  4. ^ "自民 参院選に広瀬氏擁立 県連発表 盛岡出身の弁護士". 読売新聞. 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  5. ^ "自民 参院選に広瀬氏擁立 県連発表 盛岡出身の弁護士". 読売新聞. 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  6. ^ "岩手 参議院選挙結果・開票速報". 参議院選挙2022特設サイト. NHK. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  7. ^ "広瀬氏が初当選 参院選岩手選挙区、自民30年ぶり勝利". 岩手日報. 2022-07-11. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  8. ^ "30年ぶりに自民が勝利 岩手選挙区は広瀬めぐみ氏が初当選 参院選". IBC岩手放送. 2022-07-11. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  9. ^ "自民・広瀬めぐみ氏、麻生派に入会 53人に". 産経新聞. 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  10. ^ "選挙区 岩手". 候補者アンケート – 参院選2022. NHK. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  11. ^ "広瀬めぐみ 自民 岩手". 第26回参院選. 毎日新聞社. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  12. ^ "自民の2国会議員が接点 県議は6人 本社全国アンケート".
  13. ^ 「エッフェル騒動」自民党女性議員「赤ベンツホテル不倫」の決定的証拠写真　歌舞伎町から国会へ直行 週刊新潮、2024年2月28日
  14. ^ a b "自民党・広瀬めぐみ議員の赤ベンツ不倫、相手はカナダ人有名サックス奏者 直撃に議員は「しょうがない、もう撮られてるんだから」". デイリー新潮. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  15. ^ "自民・広瀬めぐみ氏、不倫報道に「信頼を損ない迷惑をかけた」 ブログで謝罪". 産経新聞. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  16. ^ "不倫報道の自民・広瀬めぐみ参院議員が謝罪文 事実関係は記載なし". 毎日新聞. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  17. ^ "Ex-ruling LDP lawmaker resigns amid salary fraud probe". Kyodo News. 2024-08-15. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
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