Japanese National Diet Member Dies from COVID-19... Infection Confirmed Posthumously

Yuichiro Hata (53), Member of the House of Councillors, Constitutional Democratic Party.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] A current Japanese member of parliament has died after contracting the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to major foreign media including Kyodo News on the 28th, Yuichiro Hata (53), a member of the House of Councillors from the Constitutional Democratic Party, who died at a hospital in Tokyo the previous day, tested positive for COVID-19.

Hata showed symptoms of fever two to three days earlier and was on his way to get a COVID test when his condition worsened and he was taken to the hospital, where he passed away. This is the first case of a sitting Japanese lawmaker dying from COVID-19.

Hata served as chairman of the House of Councillors Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and as chairman of the former Democratic Party’s House of Councillors parliamentary countermeasures committee. In 2012, he served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the cabinet of Yoshihiko Noda. He later held positions such as acting secretary-general of the former Democratic Party and secretary-general of the Democratic Party for the People in the House of Councillors. In September this year, after the Constitutional Democratic Party was newly launched by absorbing part of the Democratic Party, he served as secretary-general of the party in the House of Councillors.

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