New Democratic Party Candidate Claims He Was Already Famous After Receiving Disciplinary Action

Lawyer and father of two children.

On October 20, the first “Election Sunday” after the official announcement of the House of Representatives election took place. After 6pm, when it had already become dark, a campaign car stopped at the north exit of JR Nishi Hachioji Station.

On the roof of the rented white Toyota Hiace, a signboard with the candidate’s name was attached. The text displayed included “National Democratic Party,” “House of Representatives Candidate,” and “Lawyer and father of two children.” The person who got out of the car was Yusuke Urakawa, a candidate running for the National Democratic Party in Tokyo’s 24th district.

“Candidate Urakawa is a newcomer who was endorsed by the National Democratic Party in July. In the 24th district of Tokyo, former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member Yumi Sato, who ran as a candidate for the National Democratic Party in the previous House of Representatives election and came in second, was active. However, she, along with former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and others, left the party. Later, they joined the Japan Innovation Party, and Sato is now running from the Japan Innovation Party in the 24th district.

Due to this background, Urakawa often makes statements targeting Sato and the Japan Innovation Party, such as saying, ‘We cannot unify with those who betrayed the National Democratic Party,’ when speaking on the streets,” said a political reporter from a national newspaper.

On this day, attention was focused on what Yusuke Urakawa would say on the street corner, but after handing out flyers for about 20 minutes, he left. While he had a portable speaker ready, he refrained from using it for a speech, despite the fact that public speeches using a loudspeaker were permitted until 8 p.m.

In Tokyo’s 24th district, a fierce battle is unfolding between Koichi Hagiuda, a candidate who is facing criticism for his ties to the Unification Church and the factionalism and bribery scandals within the Liberal Democratic Party, and Yoshifu Arita, a journalist-turned-politician from the Constitutional Democratic Party, who has been investigating the Unification Church issue for years. According to various surveys, Urakawa is currently in third place. However, our publication has uncovered a key fact about this candidate that warrants closer attention.

 

The official lawyer of the National Democratic Party.

Before diving into that, let’s first look at who the candidate, Urakawa, is as a lawyer. He is introduced on a legal portal site coconala Legal Consultation, which helps people find lawyers.  

According to the site, the 31-year-old Urakawa graduated from the Faculty of Law at Waseda University in March 2015 and completed the Keio University Law School in March 2017. After working at a foreign-affiliated law firm, he is now the head of a law firm called “Egg.”  

In addition, he is a member of the Tokyo chapter of the National Democratic Party, and has been involved in legislative work and policy development within the party. On the portal site, Urakawa speaks about his involvement:  

“I am currently very active in my work with the National Democratic Party. If the party seeks legal insight, I provide it, and as a lawyer affiliated with the National Democratic Party, I earn the trust of my clients, which creates a win-win relationship.”  

“I have also been entrusted with teaching at study sessions for politicians and have been deeply involved in policy proposals for the party. For example, recently, I have been involved in the issue of joint custody.”  

In other words, Urakawa, a candidate endorsed by the National Democratic Party, has also been a kind of official lawyer, supporting the party’s policy planning with his legal expertise. However, there is an inconvenient truth about Urakawa as a lawyer.

The official government gazette clearly publishes.

A legal professional reveals:

“Candidate Urakawa received disciplinary action from the Second Tokyo Bar Association, where he is registered as a lawyer. This has been pointed out on some blogs and social media.”

The fact that Urakawa received disciplinary action as a lawyer can be confirmed not only through online posts but also through public documents. It was published in the official government gazette (Kōhō) on August 7th.

The gazette on that date clearly lists a person with the same name as Urakawa, confirming that a disciplinary action was taken against him. Specifically, a warning was issued on July 19th.

However, the gazette lists the law firm as “White Law Office,” which is different from his current Egg law firm. However, checking the corporate registration shows that this law firm changed its name to “Egg Law Firm” on April 17th. Additionally, the office’s address and lawyer’s registration number indicate that the person who received the disciplinary action is likely Urakawa himself, the head of Egg and a candidate for the National Democratic Party.

“In the legal profession, the Lawyer’s Law, enacted shortly after World War II, established the autonomy of the bar associations. The disciplinary system is part of this, and instead of giving supervisory authority to state power, the bar association punishes lawyers for any violations. Therefore, a disciplinary action from the bar association is not an internal matter, but an administrative action equivalent to that of the government against the public” (same source).

Despite being a lawyer, Urakawa has violated some rules, though the specifics are not clear at this stage. “It is expected that the details of this violation will be published in the December issue of ‘Freedom and Justice,’ the public relations magazine of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren).”

It is a fact. Yes.

However, the current candidate Urakawa is not only a lawyer but also seeking public office as a member of the House of Representatives. Is it appropriate for him to call for votes without revealing his violation of legal rules as a lawyer?

We spoke with candidate Urakawa on the phone.

— It is true that you received a disciplinary action from the Second Tokyo Bar Association on July 19. Is this accurate?

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s true. Yes.”

— The disciplinary action was a warning. What was the reason for this?

“It’s said to be due to inappropriate remarks on Twitter (now X).”

— Have you filed an objection or appeal?

“Of course. So, it’s not a finalized decision yet.”

— Which organization have you appealed to?

“I’ve filed with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Nichibenren).

The Second Tokyo Bar Association made the decision (to discipline me), but the Second Tokyo Bar Association is very political. It has strong ties to the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Communist Party. I often disagree with their political views. In the end, I feel that it was politically motivated punishment, so naturally, I don’t accept it, and that’s why I’m having it reviewed by the higher body, Nichibenren.

(The process for determining the validity of the disciplinary action is similar to general trials) It’s a three-tier system, so if Nichibenren doesn’t rule in my favor, I can have it reviewed at the higher courts.”

I’ve always been a well-known person.

――Which tweet is being questioned?

“It was in 2020. At that time, it was the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was, to begin with, a well-known person. I was known for tweeting about COVID-19.

People who know, know. I had a few million-buzz tweets. A million-buzz is when a tweet gets tens of thousands of retweets or likes on Twitter (now X). It’s what we call going viral.

Most of my COVID-related tweets were political. I’ve always been someone who criticized the media’s coverage of COVID, especially with FRIDAY magazine. I didn’t like the way they handled it—spreading fear too much, don’t you think? I’ve been saying this consistently.

It’s not that I think COVID isn’t scary, and I’ve never made any comments about vaccines. I’ve gotten vaccinated myself, and it’s offensive to be grouped with people who are anti-vaccine.”

In 2020, while Candidate Urakawa was posting about COVID-19 on Twitter, he became interested in a particular account. The owner of that account claimed to have contracted the novel coronavirus and reported on their symptoms and the subsequent long-term effects. The content caught the attention of TV stations, and the individual became a well-known figure at the time, even appearing on news programs.

 

Did you reflect on it, or did you bribe your way out?

At the same time, a number of voices started to emerge pointing out that this account might be exhibiting *Munchausen syndrome* (a condition where someone deliberately pretends to be ill in order to attract attention or sympathy from others).

Candidate Urakawa continues:

“So, on Twitter, there were more and more accounts saying ‘This person has Munchausen syndrome,’ and I joined in, saying something like, ‘This person definitely has Munchausen syndrome.’ Then, followers of the account (who claimed to have contracted COVID-19) filed a disciplinary complaint against me, saying, ‘Can a lawyer say something like that?’ (to the Daini Tokyo Bar Association). It seems that the complaint was accepted and processed (the system allows anyone to file a disciplinary complaint against a lawyer they believe has violated the code of conduct).”

――What specific regulation is this disciplinary action violating?

“There’s something called the ‘Code of Basic Duties for Lawyers’, and in that, there’s a provision that says ‘A lawyer must not engage in acts that harm the dignity of the profession’ (something to that effect). There are about 80 articles in that code, and yet only that one provision is being applied.”

――So, you feel that you’ve been punished unfairly and arbitrarily?

“Yes, exactly. The disciplinary actions within the bar association are, to us, really like a bad lottery—it’s just unfortunate. That’s how I feel.”

――A bad lottery?

“Yes, because it’s mostly arbitrary. I don’t even know what exactly in the rules or regulations I supposedly violated. Sometimes, for very minor violations, people get very severe penalties like suspension, and it just doesn’t make sense. There are only about three people who have the authority to make these decisions, so it all comes down to their moods and their way of thinking. Also, whether or not you’ve reflected on your actions or ‘paid’ to settle it, it all plays a role. 

So, among my colleagues, we all feel that getting disciplined is just a shame.”

 

How will the Constitutional Democratic Party respond?

――Do you, Urakawa-san, believe that the disciplinary action is not yet finalized, and therefore, it’s not something voters should take into account when deciding in the election?

“No, that’s not the case. It’s not like that at all, but this disciplinary action made me realize just how deeply flawed the bar association’s system is.

I never really wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. So, partly with that in mind, I applied for the public candidate selection by the Constitutional Democratic Party last year, and I was accepted. I want to change the legal profession. If the Daini Tokyo Bar Association is going to take actions like this (imposing disciplinary actions), then, if I want to change it politically, there’s no other way but to go higher up (to the Diet). That’s part of why I want to become a politician.

How voters perceive the disciplinary action is up to them, but as for me, the fact that the Daini Tokyo Bar Association did this is completely absurd. So, in order to change things like this, I’m asking you to support me and help me rise.”

Urakawa is asking to be elected to the House of Representatives in order to change the crazy bar association that imposed the disciplinary action on him.

On the other hand, the Constitutional Democratic Party, which has endorsed Urakawa as a candidate despite his disciplinary action as a lawyer, was asked how they would explain his stance. In response to a written inquiry, Ishiguro Tatsuo, the secretary-general of the Tokyo chapter of the party (also a member of the Nerima Ward assembly), provided the following answer:

“Urakawa-san consulted us about the matter of the disciplinary action, and we were made aware of it as something to be cautious about regarding his candidacy. (Omitted) He reported that he sincerely regrets the harsh language used in his posts on social media. (Omitted) We have asked Urakawa-san to be more mindful of the content of his social media posts. Based on his experience and abilities, we believe he is suitable to be a candidate for the House of Representatives.”

Candidate Urakawa, taking into account that the Twitter posts that led to the disciplinary action were from four years ago, has said, “It’s like being blamed for a car accident that happened four years ago.”

Now, it remains to be seen how voters will interpret this situation. The final judgment will come soon on the day of the election.

—Naoyuki Miyashita (Non-fiction writer)
naoyukimiyashita@pm.me