Ayaka Otsu (大津 綾香, Ōtsu Ayaka; born 18 November 1992) is a Japanese politician and former child actress who is the…Ayaka Otsu (大津 綾香, Ōtsu Ayaka; born 18 November 1992) is a Japanese politician and former child actress who is the disputed de jure leader of The Collaborative Party. She was an agent of Five Eight Ltd. during her active years as a child actress.
Teruki Gotō (後藤 輝樹, Gotō Teruki; December 8, 1982 – June 28, 2026) was a Japanese musician and perennial candidate…Teruki Gotō (後藤 輝樹, Gotō Teruki; December 8, 1982 – June 28, 2026) was a Japanese musician and perennial candidate known for his naked election posters. He held a number of nationalist views and ran as a candidate for Mayor of Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo (2013), City Assembly of Chiyoda (2015), Governor of Tokyo (2016), Governor of Tokyo (2020), and Governor of Tokyo (2024). According to his website, he wished to make Japan the "strongest, kindest, and most interesting country in the world." In 2016, his television speech became a meme on the Internet when he ran for governor of Tokyo. He continued to speak prohibited words, and as a result 10% of his speech was censored by NHK without his permission. Gotō died on June 28, 2026, at the age of 43.
Kimiko Hirata (平田 仁子, Hirata Kimiko, born 1970) is a Japanese climate activist. As a founder of the Kiko Network, a…Kimiko Hirata (平田 仁子, Hirata Kimiko, born 1970) is a Japanese climate activist. As a founder of the Kiko Network, a non-governmental organization, she has campaigned for emissions reductions for more than 20 years. As of December 2022, her grassroots work has led to the cancellation of 17 planned coal-power plants. Hirata also led landmark coal divestment campaigns against Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ. She currently serves as executive director for the Tokyo-based think tank, Climate Integrate, which focuses on accelerating decarbonization. In 2021, Hirata became the first Japanese woman to be awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, nicknamed the "Green Nobel". In 2022, she was named to the BBC 100 list of influential women. She holds a PhD in social sciences from Waseda University, and is the author of Climate Change and Politics (2019) in Japanese, and co-author of many books and articles.
Kashiko Kawakita (川喜多かしこ, Kawakita Kashiko; March 21, 1908 - July 27, 1993) was a Japanese film producer and film…Kashiko Kawakita (川喜多かしこ, Kawakita Kashiko; March 21, 1908 - July 27, 1993) was a Japanese film producer and film curator, and the wife of Nagamasa Kawakita. As vice president of Tōwa Trading, together with her husband and daughter Kazuko Kawakita she was influential in the development of the post-war Japanese film industry, sponsoring actors and actresses, and in promoting Japanese cinema to overseas audiences.
Kanson Arahata (荒畑 寒村, Arahata Kanson; August 14, 1887 – March 6, 1981), real name Katsuzō Arahata (荒畑 勝三, Arahata…Kanson Arahata (荒畑 寒村, Arahata Kanson; August 14, 1887 – March 6, 1981), real name Katsuzō Arahata (荒畑 勝三, Arahata Katsuzō), was a Japanese politician and writer active in the socialist and labor movements. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, he converted to socialism in 1904 while working at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, where he read anti-war pamphlets by Kōtoku Shūsui, Sakai Toshihiko, and other socialists. After the Russo-Japanese War, Arahata wrote for numerous socialist publications; his account of the Ashio Copper Mine incident is considered a classic of Japanese journalism. In 1922, Arahata helped found the Japanese Communist Party. In 1937, he was arrested as part of the Japanese government's crackdown on socialists and communists and spent the following years in prison. After World War II, he served on numerous labor committees, and was elected the first chairman of the National Trade Union of Metal and Engineering Workers. He also helped found the Japan Socialist Party in 1945, joining its Central Committee in 1947 and winning elections to the National Diet on its slate in 1946 and 1947. In 1948, Arahata's opposition to the party's approval of postal, tobacco tax, and train fare increases led him to leave its ranks. After a failed attempt to create a new socialist party, he lost his seat in the Diet in the 1949 election. In 1951, Arahata withdrew from active involvement in the socialist and labor movements, but continued to write and exercise influence. He died in 1981.