Eriko Imai’s Adultery Scandal Causes Her Chances as a Second Term Member of the House of Councillors
Eriko Imai, who worked diligently carrying her belongings and checking posters.
On June 1, a unique office opening was held in a corner of Ginza 1-chome, lined with luxury brand stores.
She shared, “My life has been full of peaks and valleys, and God has given me new challenges. I wish people could empathize with people in wheelchairs. I want to create an environment in Japan where no one is left behind, and where people would be happy to have been born, even with a disability.”
Eriko Imai, 38, a former member of the House of Councillors and a member of SPEED, expressed her determination to serve a second term as a proportional representative.
On May 5, she fell from a bull at a bullfighting festival in Tokunoshima, Kagoshima, and broke her pelvis. She was being assisted by his son, Raimu, a professional wrestler. She showed signs of recovery by standing up during his speech.
The event was the opening of an office for the summer Upper House election and was crowded with people including members of the Aso Faction, to which Imai belongs, supporters and fans from her days as a TV personality, and friends of her mother.
Her mother’s friend shared that Imai is a good dancer, but not at ball games where she covered her in dodgeball.
Satonori Eto, a member of the House of Representatives, said, “Since the cow fell first, she won’t fall again in the election.”
“I rarely have people take pictures of me with their phones, but Imai has cameras pointed at him everywhere and asks for handshakes. But the pressure is very heavy,” said Haruko Arimura, a member of the House of Councilors.
She encouraged the participants to do their best. Ms. Imai spoke of her feelings toward Okinawa, where she grew up until the age of 12.
May 15 will mark the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to mainland Japan. Bases are concentrated in Okinawa and are responsible for Japan’s security. She shared that this is not just an issue for Okinawa, but Japan as a whole.
During the meeting, there was a scene where Ms. Imai was moved to tears.
Mr. Hashimoto working hard at the opening of his officeA national newspaper reporter said that in 2009, FRIDAY reported that Hashimoto and Imai were living together.
When this magazine reported their cohabitation, Imai responded, “We are having a good relationship.”
There was a headwind against Ms. Imai from within the party saying that she has no track record (LDP official ) regarding her political activities over the past six years with the public having a strong image of the adultery scandal risking her chances of winning a seat in the upper house of the Diet.
The fracture from her falling from a bull has made it impossible for her to make as many speeches as she would like, limiting the few things she can contribute. Furthermore, she has not properly explained her relationship with Mr. Hashimoto in public. Though no one would question the judgment of an adult the public still needs to understand their status.
Ms. Imai speaks strongly and enthusiastically
Photo by： Takeshi Kinugawa
