Asako Omi

Asako Omi
尾身 朝子
Official portrait, 2019
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 February 2026
ConstituencyPR block
In office
15 December 2014 – 9 October 2024
ConstituencyPR block (2014–2017)
Gunma 1st (2017–2021)
PR block (2021–2024)
Personal details
Born (1961-04-26) 26 April 1961
Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
PartyLiberal Democratic
Parent
University of Tokyo
WebsiteAsako Omi website

Asako Omi (尾身 朝子, Omi Asako; born 26 April 1961) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.[1]

Early life

On 26 April 1961, Omi was born in Chiyoda, Tokyo. After graduating from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Law, she entered Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in 1986.[2]

In 2002, she left NTT to establish herself as an independent tech consultant.[2]

In 2004, she was appointed as a professor at the Research Institute of Science and Technology, Tokai University.[2]

Political career

In the 2004 House of Councillors election, Omi ran in National PR but could not win a seat.[3]

In 2006, when her father, Kōji Omi, established the Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum, she served as its Chief of Staff and Secretary-General.[2]

In the 2007 House of Councillors election, she ran in National PR but could not win a seat again.[4]

In April 2013, she was appointed as a member of the Council for Child and Child-rearing under the Cabinet Office. In June, she assumed the positions of Standing Director and Chairperson of the Women's Division of the Kojimachi Association. In December, she became a director for both the Labor Committee and the Women's Association of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[2]

In April 2014, she was appointed as a director of the Special Committee on the Promotion of Women's Active Engagement in the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[2]

In the 2014 general election, Omi ran in Northern Kanto PR and won a seat.[5]

Looking toward the next general election, Omi explored a candidacy in Gunma 1st district, where her father Kōji had previously been active. In April 2016, the LDP's Gunma 1st district branch decided to withdraw their support for the incumbent, Genichiro Sata, due to a scandal involving his relationships with women. Consequently, the LDP Gunma Prefectural Federation (LDP Gunma) proposed her and Yasutaka Nakasone (grandson of former PM Yasuhiro Nakasone) as alternative candidates.[6] Finally, the LDP Gunma decided to endorse her to the Gunma 1st candidate.[7]

Following the dissolution of the House of Representatives in 2017, the LDP headquarters officially nominated her as a candidate. However, Nakasone and the incumbent Sata — who lacked support from the local lawmakers — also showed strong interest in running.[8][9] Ultimately, Sata abandoned his bid,[10] and the situation was resolved with Nakasone being placed on the party list for the Northern Kanto PR block.[11] In the 2017 general election, she gained the Gunma 1st seat. Meanwhile, Nakasone won a seat in the PR block.[12]

In September 2019, she was appointed to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Fourth Abe second reshuffled cabinet.[13]

As the House of Representatives' term approached its end in 2021, a new conflict erupted between Omi and Nakasone over the LDP's nomination for the Gunma 1st. In June, Omi held a rally inviting former PM Shinzo Abe, who belonged to the same faction, Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai, then known as Hosoda faction. Abe stated, "I believe it is unthinkable that Ms. Omi would not be the nominated candidate." In response, Omi remarked, "It is deeply encouraging to feel that I have received the support as the LDP candidate." Meanwhile, on 17 July, Nakasone also held a rally, inviting Toshihiro Nikai, the LDP Secretary-General and head of his belonged Shisuikai faction. At the event, Nikai praised Nakasone as "a standout among young politicians with a highly promising future," adding, "I ask everyone to lend your strength to Yasutaka Nakasone. I have great expectations for his future and will provide firm backup from Tokyo."[14][15][16]

As the new LDP President Fumio Kishida appointed Akira Amari as Secretary-General, Nikai stepped down from the position, which had held the authority to select candidates. On 15 October, LDP headquarters nominated Nakasone as the candidate for the Gunma 1st and decided to place Omi high on the party list for the Northern Kanto PR block.[17][18]

In the 2021 general election, she won a seat in the PR block.[19]

In August 2022, she was appointed to the State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the Second Kishida first reshuffled cabinet.[20]

On 6 October 2024, the new LDP President Shigeru Ishiba announced a policy regarding the upcoming general election: members involved in the slush fund scandal who failed to report political funds in their income and expenditure reports will not be allowed to run on the PR block's party list, even if they are nominated as candidates for their respective single-seat constituencies.[21] The treatment of Omi, who had been scheduled to run solely for the proportional representation block, became a point of contention. On October 11, Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP Secretary-General, announced Omi withdrew her candidacy.[22][23]

On 18 January 2026, the LDP Gunma applied to the LDP headquarters to include Omi on the party list for the Northern Kanto PR block.[24][25] On 23 January, the LDP headquarters approved her inclusion on the list.[26]

In the 2026 general election, she won a seat in the PR block.[27]

Scandal

Slush fund scandal

On 1 December 2023, the Asahi Shimbun reported that Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai, known as Abe faction, is suspected of continuing to systematically kick back to lawmakers with the income collected by its members beyond the sales quota.[28]

It was revealed that Omi used a total of 6.23 million yen as slush funds for five years from 2018 to 2022 as a kickback from the faction for quota excess.[29]

On 4 April 2024, LDP held the Party Ethics Committee meeting and decided to issue a reprimand to Omi from the Secretary-General.[30][31]

On 14 May 2024, the House of Representatives Political Ethics Committee unanimously passed the opposition's petition to attend and explain 44 LDP members who were involved in the slush fund scandal but did not explain themselves to the committee.[32] On 17 May 2024, the House of Councillors Political Ethics Committee unanimously passed a petition for attendance and explanation to 29 members who had not made excuses. All 73 Diet members, including Omi, refused to attend, and the ordinary Diet session was closed on 23 June 2024.[33]

References

  1. ^ "Asako Omi". LDP (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "尾身朝子外務大臣政務官略歴". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  3. ^ "比例区開票結果". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 11 July 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  4. ^ "比例区開票結果". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 29 July 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  5. ^ "比例区開票速報：北関東ブロック". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  6. ^ "中曽根康隆氏ＶＳ尾身朝子氏　自民衆院１区、公認推薦２人に". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 27 April 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  7. ^ "北関東３県の政治家３人　共通のキーワード「女」…辞職勧告６度、買春逮捕、衆院選公認取り消し". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 24 December 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  8. ^ "自民群馬１区公認は尾身朝子氏に　言葉濁す中曽根康隆氏　保守３分裂なら新党に漁夫の利". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 28 September 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  9. ^ "自民、群馬１区尾身氏公認も　保守分裂の可能性も". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 29 September 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  10. ^ "群馬１区・自民前職のベテラン佐田玄一郎氏が出馬断念　「保守分裂はいけない」　政界引退は否定". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 9 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  11. ^ "中曽根元首相の孫、比例単独で出馬表明". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 5 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  12. ^ "小選挙区開票速報：群馬". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 22 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  13. ^ "The fourth ABE Shinzo The second reshuffled Cabinet　List of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  14. ^ "幹事長に前首相…お墨付き合戦　群馬1区、公認争い激化". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 18 July 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  15. ^ "自民の群馬１区公認争い過熱…中曽根氏会合に二階幹事長ら出席、尾身氏をけん制". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 18 July 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  16. ^ "自民、激しい公認争い再び　現職・尾身氏か「民意」中曽根氏か". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 20 July 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  17. ^ "自民公認は中曽根氏、尾身氏は比例へ　衆院選・群馬1区". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 16 October 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  18. ^ "自民1区、中曽根氏公認　尾身氏比例に　急転直下、首相が決断　「安倍氏との暗闘」の声も　／群馬". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 17 October 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  19. ^ "衆院選 北関東ブロック 開票速報". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 31 October 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  20. ^ "The second KISHIDA Cabinet Reshuffled Cabinet List of State Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  21. ^ "裏金議員43人の比例重複認めず　萩生田氏ら6人は非公認　首相表明". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 6 October 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  22. ^ "自民尾身氏、立候補辞退　支持者「ショック」　県連「厳しい船出」". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 12 October 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  23. ^ "裏金問題で出馬を辞退した尾身朝子氏、今後は？　自民・森山裕幹事長から伝えられた「しかるべき機会に最優先」". Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). 12 October 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  24. ^ "元職・尾身氏を比例公認申請　自民県連　／群馬". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  25. ^ "＜衆院選群馬＞裏金事件に関係　前職尾身さん比例で自民県連が公認申請". Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). 20 January 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  26. ^ "自民党、衆議院選挙へ3次公認40人発表". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 23 January 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  27. ^ "比例代表 北関東(定数 19)【衆議院選挙】開票速報・結果". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  28. ^ "安倍派、1億円超の裏金か　パー券ノルマ超えを還流　地検が立件視野". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 1 December 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  29. ^ "【一覧】自民党「裏金」調査　最多は二階俊博氏　85人が記載漏れ、誤記載を申告、5年で計5.7億円超". Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  30. ^ "自民裏金、党紀委が塩谷・世耕両氏に離党勧告　39人の処分決定". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  31. ^ "自民党の処分全容　党の役職停止は武田良太氏ら17人". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  32. ^ "衆院政倫審での弁明、裏金議員44人全員が拒否　全会一致の議決でも". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 20 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  33. ^ "裏金議員73人、政倫審に応ぜず閉会　「レッテル貼られるだけ」". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 24 June 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.