Judoka Tani Wins Election Gold

TOKYO — From JAPAN TODAY. Two-time Olympic judo champion Ryoko Tani won Sunday’s House of Councillors election as a rare celebrity candidate to succeed in a bid for parliament, but other high-profile aspiring lawmakers including actors and singers mostly suffered defeats both in the ruling and opposition camps.


Tani, who was criticized for saying she wants to compete in the 2012 London Olympics even if she becomes a ruling Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker, pledged to work hard to serve her first six-year term, saying, ‘‘I’ll never make light of my public duty.’‘


 ‘‘There are many hard-working mothers and women who work and do sports at the same time,’’ the 34-year-old mother of two said, adding that she will take their opinions to the Diet to try to create a better society.



Actress Junko Mihara won an upper house seat of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party. ‘‘I feel there is a sign the LDP has changed. I’ll work to be a new whirlwind blowing in the LDP,’’ Mihara, 45, said.


While Tani and Mihara won their seats in the nationwide proportional representation section, former professional baseball slugger Hiroo Ishii, 46, became a fresh LDP lawmaker after beating DPJ incumbent Yoetsu Suzuki in the Akita prefectural constituency.



But the successes for the three celebrities appeared exceptional.


Contrary to expectations of the leadership of each party, many celebrity candidates failed to secure support beyond their own parties and win over nonaligned voters, a key factor in recent elections in Japan, Kyodo News exit polls suggested.


Actor Daijiro Harada, actress Yuki Okazaki, singer Mayo Shono and Rakugo storyteller Katsura Kinshi failed even though they were ticketed by the DPJ for the proportional representation block.


‘‘I could not persuade voters who hoped to change Yamaguchi,’’ said Harada, 66, apologizing to his supporters.
    


Tomohiro Nagatsuka, 31, a cycling silver-medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics backed by the DPJ, also failed to win a seat in the Ibaraki constituency, and Junichi Kawai, 35, a three-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist, running on the ticket of Your Party, lost in the Shizuoka constituency.
   


Mari Okabe, a popular TV personality fielded by the DPJ, also failed in her bid to secure a seat in the Osaka constituency.
    


Among other unsuccessful celebrity candidates were former Yomiuri Giants manager Tsuneo Horiuchi with the LDP and outspoken former Yomiuri Giants slugger Kiyoshi Nakahata with the start-up Sunrise Party of Japan. Former Hanshin Tigers pitcher and upper house member Takenori Emoto failed to make a comeback as a lawmaker of the People’s New Party.