Inappropriate Way to Spend Off-day

He was a young good-looking lawmaker who attracted Japanese public with his determination to have a certain period of recess for raising his newly born baby. Leaving his job to help his wife, who was also a lawmaker, would be interpreted as following of woman-oriented policy of Shinzo Abe administration. So, what did he do? He spent days with another woman. Receiving broad bashing from the public, he stepped down as a lawmaker, just because he had spent his off-day inappropriate way.

The scandal was reported by a weekly magazine, Shukan Bunshun, which had consecutively been reporting major gossips, including money scandal of former Minister in Charge of Economic Revitalization, Akira Amari. According to a report of Bunshun, a member of the House of Representatives, Kensuke Miyazaki, affiliated to Liberal Democratic Party, spend a night with a female TV performer at his house in Kyoto late January, leaving his pregnant wife in Tokyo. He had announced that he would take a recess after the baby would be born.

In his press conference on Thursday, he revealed his intention to resign as a lawmaker. “I deeply regret this contradiction between what I have been saying and what I have done,” told Miyazaki. He apologized his supporters, especially his wife, of his reckless behavior. While he admitted that he had met the TV performer three times, he also had, for a surprise of the public, such a relationship with other women than the performer. After all, Miyazaki repeatedly had inappropriate relationships after his marriage.

His wife must be furious. But, LDP leaders are so, too. Abe has been selling his policy for supporting working women to revitalize Japanese economy. Help of husband in raising child might have been encouraging his wife to maintain her job. Miyazaki’s scandal disseminated an image to the public that a husband may run to another woman leaving his pregnant wife, when he have enough time to do that. LDP lawmakers regret the scandal as negative image to have kid-raising recess.

Because of resignation of Miyazaki, supplementary election will be taken place in his electoral district in Kyoto in April. It is likely that the voters will be negative to next candidate of LDP. The opposite parties are considering broad cooperation, including Japan Communist Party. Kyoto is known as one of the few strongholds of JCP. If LDP loses in Kyoto, it will be affecting to the election of House of Councillors this summer.

Abe administration is in a negative trend this year with steep decline of stock market or resignation of Amari, who was in charge of Trans-Pacific Partnership. The scandal of young novice lawmaker may cause acceleration of downward pressure on Abe’s politics.