Eriko Yamatani
| Eriko Yamatani | |
|---|---|
| 山谷 えり子 | |
| Yamatani in 2023
Yamatani in 2023
| |
| Chairwoman of the National Public Safety Commission | |
| In office 3 September 2014 – 7 October 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe |
| Preceded by | Keiji Furuya |
| Succeeded by | Tarō Kōno |
| Junior ministerial offices Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue In office 26 December 2012 – 3 September 2014 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Preceded by Keiji Furuya Succeeded by Katsunobu Katō Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform In office 3 September 2014 – 7 October 2015 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Preceded by Katsuya Okada Succeeded by Haruko Arimura Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues In office 3 September 2014 – 7 October 2015 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Preceded by Ichita Yamamoto Succeeded by Aiko Shimajiri Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for Education Reform In office 26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007 | |
| Member of the House of Councillors | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 26 July 2004 | |
| Constituency | National PR |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 25 June 2000 – 10 November 2003 | |
| Constituency | Tōkai PR |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eriko Yamatani 19 September 1950 Musashino, Tokyo, Japan |
| Party | LDP (since 2003) |
| Other political affiliations |
DSP (1989–1994) Independent (1994–2000) DPJ (2000–2002) NCP (2002–2003) |
| Spouse | Sei Ogawa (died 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of the Sacred Heart |
| Occupation | Journalist • Politician |
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Eriko Yamatani (山谷 えり子, Yamatani Eriko; born September 19, 1950) is a Japanese politician. Her name in official documents is Eriko Ogawa (小川恵里子, Ogawa Eriko).[1]
Life and career
Born in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. Her father was a Sankei Shimbun newspaper reporter. She spent her childhood in Fukui city, where her wealthy family ran the geisha ryokan Beniya at Awara Onsen. Later her father was defeated in the general election, and, heavily in debt, the Yamatani family left Fukui for Tokyo. She graduated from the University of the Sacred Heart (a Catholic university in Tokyo) with the Bachelor of Letters degree in March 1973. She worked in the United States for a publishing company. She became the editor-in-chief of Sankei Living Shimbun in 1985 and became known as an essayist and television personality.
In 1989 Yamatani ran for a seat in the House of Councillors as a Democratic Socialist Party candidate, but was defeated.
In June 2000, she was elected to the Diet of Japan on the Democratic Party ticket as a proportional representative. She left the party in 2002 to join the New Conservative Party.[2] Though she had planned to run for the seat representing the Tokyo 3rd district in 2003, the emergence of Hirotaka Ishihara, son of Governor Shintaro Ishihara, forced her to run from the 4th district, where she was defeated. She then returned to the Diet as a proportional representative of the Liberal Democratic Party in 2004.
Yamatani is a vocal opponent of "gender-free education" and of sex education in home economics textbooks and other parts of the school curriculum.
Affiliated to the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi,[3] she is also a supporter of Japan's territorial claims and has called for special legislation to restrict land sales to foreigners on Tsushima Island and to implement measures to boost its local economy without having to depend heavily on South Korean tourists. Koreans own about 0.007 percent of the land on Tsushima.[4]
Yamatani has also statements clarifying the concerns around sexual minorities, criticizing the aim of transgender persons that it is their right to use the bathroom of their chosen gender rightly mentioning public safety concerns. As well as lamenting situations where transgender athletes are stealing medals from cisgender athletes, due to their unfair competitive advantages.[5]
Yamatani is a member of the Japan Israel Friendship Association (JIFA).[6] As part of the Japanese Diet's Interparty Caucus for the Abduction Issues, she met with Israeli delegates and former hostage Noa Argamani in the early stages of the Gaza war to discuss the plight of other hostages held by Hamas.[7][8]
References
- Back to citation 山谷 えり子（やまたに えりこ）本名 小川 惠里子（おがわ えりこ） (in Japanese). House of Councillors official website. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- Back to citation The Japan Times Kumagai to form 'new party' with NCP and DPJ defectors December 25 2002 Retrieved on August 7, 2012
- Back to citation "Abe's reshuffle promotes right-wingers" - Korea Joongang Daily - 2014/09/05
- Back to citation Kaneko, Maya, (Kyodo News) "Tsushima's S. Koreans: guests or guerrillas?", Japan Times, March 5, 2010, p. 3.
- Back to citation A series of discriminatory remarks at the Liberal Democratic Assembly over the LGBT bill(in Japanese), Mainichi Shimbun, May 21, 2021
- Back to citation "JIFAについて". 日本イスラエル親善協会 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- Back to citation "Noa Argamani Visits Japan | Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Embassy of Israel. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
- Back to citation 山谷えり子. "ハマスに拘束されている人質家族代表団と拉致議連役員で面会". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2026-07-01.
External links
- "Eriko Yamatani's Lecture on June 14, 2005 at Mitaka Marketing Plaza" reported by CGS, International Christian University