On August 15th, Sugita Mio sat at a microphone-laden desk, a tall, transparent plastic divider separating her from the press amassed before her. As she answered various questions regarding her new appointment to the Kishida Cabinet as Parliamentary Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, one statement stood out.
「過去に多様性を否定したことも、性的マイノリティーを差別したこともない。」
“In the past, I have never once criticized diversity, nor have I discriminated against sexual minorities.”
Sugita’s assertation, which flies in the face of her numerous highly publicized discriminatory statements about various minorities in Japan, immediately sparked criticism. Such negative assessments only added to concerns about Prime Minister Kishida’s placement of the highly controversial politician within his newly reshuffled cabinet.
Although a darling of the online far right, Sugita’s long history of what has been termed “hate speech” has led her to become perhaps the most notorious member of the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party. (An impressive feat, given the LDP contains such masters of the discriminatory political gaff as Aso Taro and Mori Yoshiro.) While the LDP grapples with its promises of gender parity and halting motions towards inclusivity of sexual minorities, Sugita’s presence in the upper echelons cannot help but cause misgivings across a wide crosssection of concerned parties.
Negative Trend Setter
Sugita Mio’s counter-historical claim of tolerance toward Japan’s minorities almost immediately resulted in her words trending on Japanese-language Twitter. Many, including fellow legislators, were quick to point out the perceived hypocrisy of her words.
Yamazoe Taku, a member of the House of Councillors representing the Japanese Communist Party (and an advocate for LGBT rights), used a variety of quotes from Sugita to encapsulate why many found her statement hard to take seriously:
“Mrs. Sugita Mio: ‘In the past, I have never once criticized diversity, nor have I discriminated against sexual minorities.’
”They are unproductive.’
‘[Refering to survivors of sexual assault] Women make up all sorts of lies.’
‘[Referring to those who wish to be able to maintain separate surnames following marriage] Then they can just not get married.’
It seems that she’s completely unaware of the problematic nature of any of these statements.”
No Stranger to Controversy
Twitter was not the only venue through which Sugita Mio was fact-checked. Major Japanese media outlets have continuously run articles covering controversy related to the politician since her appointment to the Kishida cabinet. Today, the Mainichi, one of Japan’s most prominent newspapers, published an article plainly refuting Sugita’s claim to never having made discriminatory remarks. The article breaks down Sugita’s history of prejudice, covering many of the quotes Yamazoe mentioned in his own tweet.
These include a 2018 article by Sugita for the monthly magazine Shincho 45, titled “How Support for the LGBT has Gone Too Far.” In said article, Sugita complained about tax dollars potentially going to support same-sex couples, who, presumably unable to produce offspring, were “unproductive” and thus undeserving of government support. Sugita also invoked slippery-slope arguments against gay marriage, saying:
“If we accept diversity, it will mean recognizing a variety of sexual orientations. This won’t just stop at approving of same-sex marriage. We may have those who will say, for example, ‘allow sibling marriage, allow parent-child marriage, and while you’re at it, let me marry my pet, or a machine.”
Sugita Mio, Shincho 45, August 2018 edition.
When published, Sugita’s article made such a stir that even LDP supporters reacted with shock. Meetings to discuss Sugita were called at LDP HQ, and the Shincho 45 ceased publication.
It was in reference to a question regarding the 2018 Shincho 45 article that Sugita made her claim to have never “discriminated against sexual minorities.” She followed this up by stating that she is completely on board with the LDP’s official claims towards the promotion of equality. Prime Minister Kishida himself has regularly said that “diversity is paramount” (多様性の尊重.)
Knowing Her Audience
Sugita Mio has made a litany of controversial statements that go far beyond just the Shincho 45 article. She first established her popularity among the right wing as a writer for the conservative publisher Seirindou (青林堂). Starting in 2014, She used the mouthpiece provided by the publisher to rail against LGBT and women’s rights, as well as diversity in general. On the subject of women’s advancement in society, Sugita wrote the following:
“Originally, in Japan, we had this expression – “Men don’t enter the kitchen.” It was an admonishment to men not to enter women’s spaces. Conversely, there are spaces that are the preserve of men that women should never intrude upon. There are many instances in which women are used and elevated in power in order to draw people’s attention. Make no mistake – “women’s advancement” goes hand in hand with the destruction of the family and the destruction of Japan.”
From “Why I Fight the Left Wing,” 2017. Translation by Jay Allen.
The publication of her extreme stances helped gain Sugita a major following from the online right. As of 2022, Sugita is the 23rd most-followed politician on Japanese Twitter. She has over 250k followers.
Once elected to the National Diet, Sugita only continued to make similar remarks. During questioning at parliament, she stated the following: “Gender equality is an unethical delusion.” “There was [previously] no sexism in Japanese society.”
Contentious Reactions from Japanese Media
Yesterday, August 18th, the Mainichi published an opinion piece titled “Mrs. Sugita Mio to be Made Parliamentary Official: Is this a Cabinet that Approves of Discrimination?” (“杉田水脈氏を政務官に 差別を認める内閣なのか”.) In the article, the author begins by saying, “What reason could they have for assigning a member of the Diet who has repeatedly made prejudicial statements to such an important post? Doing so cannot help but cast doubt upon Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who made the nomination.” The article calls for Prime Minister Kishida to “immediately reconsider [his selection of] personnel.”
Today, commentator Tamakawa Toru appeared on TV Asahi’s Morning Show to discuss Kishida’s cabinet reshuffle. Regarding Sugita Mio, Tamakawa stated that “it’s problematic that the LDP would approve of someone like this.”(「こういう人を自 h党は認めることが問題。」) The cast also discussed Sugita’s press conference and her claim to never having made any discriminatory remarks. On this topic, Tamakawa continued:
「もしも、本当は差別している認識があるのに、こういうふうに言っているとすれば、不誠実というか嘘つきですよね。一方で、本当にそう思ってるんだったら。“私、差別なんでしたことない”って本当に思ってるんだったら余計たち悪いと思うんですよね。」
“If she is in fact aware of her own prejudice, and yet can still make this sort of statement, then that makes her either insincere or simply a liar. On the other hand, if she really thinks that- If she really believes that ‘I’ve never discriminated in my life,’ – well, I think that’s an even bigger mark against her character.”
Tamakawa leveled further criticism against Sugita’s appointment to such a significant post. Sugita Mio is not a directly elected politician – rather, she’s placed in her seat via the LDP’s internal ranking. Proportional voting blocks allow the party to simply place her in the parliament without actually winning any head-to-head elections herself. Her high ranking in the LDP proportional list shows additional support from within the party structure – despite her clear opposition to much of the LDP’s stated social platform. In the face of controversy and unproven support from the electorate itself, the LDP continues to keep Sugita in power.
An Issue of Hypocrisy
Prime Minister Kishida’s official website lists his specific goals for “realizing a society in which all people can have a high quality of life.” His government’s aims are summarized as follows:
“What shall serve as the foundation of the ‘New Capitalism” is a society that places great value on diversity, in which all people – the elderly, the young, men, women, those with disabilities – can experience a sense of purpose in their lives.”
The page then goes on to list specific policies aimed at creating gender equality and fostering more opportunities for women to participate in society at large.
The issue with Sugita’s continued placement among the higher ranks of the ruling party is how clearly she stands in opposition to these stated aims. She can claim otherwise – but the reality is a matter of public record.
