[Japanese Perspective] Why Attention is on the Female Foreign Minister Appointed After 20 Years

Decision to Execute 13 Members of Omjinrikyo
At Age 70, Enjoys Squats and Walking, Gaining More Attention

This week, Japanese media outlets have been flooding reports about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet reshuffle. It was a task that required decisions on appointing key party officials, ministerial changes, and retaining some members. In particular, there were figures who attracted attention from the moment they appeared.

While Korean media focused on Obuchi Yuko, the daughter of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi who led the 'Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration,' there was actually another figure who sparked an explosive reaction in Japan.

That person is Kamikawa Yoko, newly appointed as Foreign Minister, a position equivalent to South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Besides being the first female Foreign Minister in Japan in 21 years, her past career, including the decision to execute the death penalty for the leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, has drawn even more attention.

Yoko Kamikawa. (Photo by NHK)

On Japanese portal sites, when you search for Kamikawa Yoko, the related search term 'Kamikawa Yoko Sugoi (すごい)'?meaning 'Kamikawa Yoko is amazing'?often appears. Today, we introduce Kamikawa Yoko, the new Foreign Minister.

Born in 1953 in Shizuoka City, Kamikawa is 70 years old this year. She graduated from the University of Tokyo and joined Mitsubishi Research Institute. At that time, the concept of gender equality was weak, and it was difficult for women to work as researchers, so she entered as an office worker.

Then, in 1985, Japan enacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Law, which changed company systems, and she later passed an exam to work as a researcher.

From 1986 to 1988, she studied public administration at Harvard University in the United States. She reportedly had the intention of "studying the U.S. to help create policies in Japan." Afterwards, she worked as a policy support staff for a U.S. senator and even participated in U.S. election campaigns, which inspired her to enter Japanese politics.

In the 1996 general election for the House of Representatives, she was defeated, ranking fifth in votes. She then joined the Liberal Democratic Party and began her political career. After a period of leaving and rejoining the party, she rose to become a senior member with three terms and was appointed as Minister of State for Special Missions in 2007.

She later served as Minister of Justice, a position equivalent to the Minister of Justice, three times. She was also a working mother raising children, which greatly influenced her administrative philosophy. She once said, "As a mother of two children working, I have relied on the help of many people to raise them. I want to create a society where not only those in fortunate situations can enjoy such support, but everyone can."

There is an incident that made her widely known. In July 2018, while serving as Minister of Justice, she made the decision to carry out the death penalty on Aum Shinrikyo members who led the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack. Because of this, she is classified as a hardliner in the judicial field. The incident occurred in 1995, and since then, the cult leader Asahara Shoko and senior members were sentenced to death and imprisoned. Kamikawa ordered the execution of 13 people, including the cult leader.

Yoko Kamikawa holding a press conference regarding the execution of members related to the Aum Shinrikyo.

This decision divided public opinion in Japan, leading to controversy and a press conference. At the conference, she calmly stated, "The Aum Shinrikyo terror was an unprecedentedly heinous and serious incident in the past. It terrified not only our country but also people in other countries and shook society. The pain and sorrow suffered by the victims and their families are beyond imagination," which was broadcast live.

She is still threatened by Aum Shinrikyo worshippers and is always accompanied by four bodyguards. There is even a story that she has more bodyguards than the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Her motto is 'Fueki Ryuko (不易流行),' which means having the courage to change what should be changed and the conviction not to change what should not be changed.

Additionally, despite being 70 years old, she has attracted attention for her physical fitness routine, doing over 100 squats daily and maintaining a habit of walking long distances.

Kamikawa is also known to have a strong interest in Korea-Japan relations. She visited Korea in 2001 and 2007 to attend events of the Korea-Japan Parliamentary League.

At a symposium commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Joseon Tongsinsa held in Shizuoka City in 2007, she said, "If we can continue dialogue (between Korea and Japan), we can overcome past mistakes."

Known as the 'charismatic Foreign Minister,' Kamikawa Yoko is attracting attention both inside and outside Japan regarding how she will lead diplomacy going forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.