Mayuko Toyota

Mayuko Toyota (豊田 真由子) (born October 10, 1974) is a Japanese politician and former bureaucrat at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. She served two terms in the House of Representatives. She was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party until August 2017, when she left after being accused of assault by her secretary. Since then she has been politically independent.

Mayuko Toyota
豊田真由子
Member of the Japanese House of Representatives
ConstituencySaitama prefecture 4th district
Personal details
BornOctober 10, 1974
Chiba prefecture, Japan
Political partyIndependent
EducationUniversity of Tokyo, Harvard University

Early life

Toyota was born in Chiba prefecture on October 10, 1974.[1] She is the second of three sisters. She entered Tokyo University in 1993, and took public law courses under Takeshi Sasaki.

Career

As a bureaucrat

After graduating from University of Tokyo’s law department in 1997, Toyota started working at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.[2] In 2000, Toyota entered Harvard University as part of a government-sponsored study abroad program. She studied public health, and graduated with a master's in physical science in 2002.

After the 2001 Central Government Reform, Toyota worked in the social welfare and health departments. In 2003 she worked with the Financial Services Agency on supplemental health insurance program for the elderly. In 2007, Toyota moved to Geneva to work at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva.[3] She had a son in Geneva and a daughter in Paris.[2]

Toyota returned to Japan and the Ministry in 2011, where she worked in the elder care department. In the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, she spearheaded policies to evacuate and provide emergency shelters for the elderly.

As a politician
Toyota (far right) with Shinzo Abe, Yoshihide Suga, and Miki Yamada on October 9, 2015

After leaving the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Toyota campaigned for a seat in the House of Representatives during the 2012 Japanese general election. She ran as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, representing Saitama prefecture's 4th district. She broke her ankle during the race, but continued campaigning.[3]

As a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Toyota served on various committees related to health, welfare, and labor.[4] She was also a member of the Seiwa Political Analysis Council.[5][6]

Toyota was reelected during the 2014 Japanese general election by a landslide.[7]

On June 22, 2017, the Shukan Shincho reported that Toyota had verbally and physically abused her secretary on May 20, 2017.[8] She had struck the man's head and face repeatedly as he drove in a car with her, calling him a "baldy" and telling him he should die.[9] Toyota left the Liberal Democratic Party on the same day, but it was not formally acknowledged until August 10.[10][11] After the allegations came to light, Toyota was hospitalized for her "unstable mental condition".[12]

The assault charges were dropped on December 27, 2017 after the victim submitted a letter to the prosecutor's office saying that he didn't want Toyota punished.[13] Nonetheless, the scandal brought to light the rampant abuse of Diet secretaries.[14]

Toyota ran for office as an independent during the 2017 Japanese general election, but lost.[15]

References
  1. "豊田 真由子". 自民党. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  2. "文部科学大臣政務官 豊田 真由子 (とよた まゆこ) 第３次安倍改造内閣 大臣政務官名簿 総理大臣 首相官邸ホームページ". 首相官邸ホームページ. Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  3. Clark, Lauren (2014-08-20). "Public health politician". News. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  4. 自由民主党 役員表 自由民主党
  5. 会員・準会員紹介 清和政策研究会
  6. 豊田　真由子 Archived 2014-05-06 at the Wayback Machine 清和政策研究会
  7. 読売新聞 2014年12月15日
  8. "LDP's Mayuko Toyota tenders resignation amid report she abused secretary". TokyoReporter. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  9. "Secretary assault case of ex-lawmaker Mayuko Toyota handed to prosecutors". The Japan Times Online. 2017-10-27. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  10. "豊田真由子衆院議員が自民党に離党届を提出 元秘書への暴行・暴言報道で引責". 産経新聞. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  11. "豊田真由子氏の離党了承". 毎日新聞. 2017-08-10. Archived from the original on 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  12. ""You baldy!" - Japanese LDP lawmaker to quit party over alleged abuse". Kyodo News+. June 22, 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  13. "Assault charges against ex-lawmaker Mayuko Toyota dropped". Mainichi Daily News. 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  14. Osaki, Tomohiro (2017-10-02). "Mayuko Toyota scandal brings to light how working as a Diet secretary can become a living hell". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  15. Japan decides 2017 : the Japanese general election. Pekkanen, Robert, Reed, Steven R., Scheiner, Ethan, Smith, Daniel M. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2018. p. 115. ISBN 9783319764757. OCLC 1038483718.CS1 maint: others (link)
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