Fusaho Izumi “under fire” for the name he wrote in the prime ministerial nomination election: “I am an independent,” some call him a “traitor.

　Fusaho Izumi, 62, a member of the House of Councilors and former mayor of Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, appeared as a guest on Nippon Broadcasting System’s “Tadashi Kakihana: Happy with You” (Monday through Thursday, 8:00 p.m.) on January 22 and explained why he wrote the name of Takahiro Anno (leader of Team Mirai) in the nomination election for prime minister on January 21. In the nomination election for Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, President of the Liberal Democratic Party, received 237 votes in the House of Representatives, more than a majority (233 votes) in the first round. In the House of Councillors, he received 123 votes, one short of a majority of 124 votes, making it a runoff with Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (44 votes). In the runoff, Takaichi received 125 votes and was elected to the upper house as well. She became the first female prime minister in Japan’s constitutional history. The election was broadcast live on NHK and commercial TV stations, and became a hot topic when a camera showing the counting of the votes at a plenary session of the Upper House revealed that Izumi had written Anno’s name. The theme of the broadcast was “Politics and Economy Japan Series: Will Prices and Taxes Fall?” and featured Izumi as well as journalist Shinichiro Suda and other guests. When announcer Tadashi Kakihana waved his hand and said, “Izumi-san was on the program,” Izumi replied, “I was there yesterday, and 246 members attended yesterday, out of the 248 seats in the House of Councillors. Yesterday, the House of Councillors had a capacity of 248, but 246 attended the meeting yesterday. And in the end, the number of votes Takaichi received (in the first round) was 123, so he was one vote short, and when it came to the final vote, the floor was filled with excitement. As you said, if the same situation continues from now on, we may be on the edge of each and every bill. Mr. Suda then asked Mr. Izumi, “I would like to ask you a question, Mr. Izumi. Mr. Suda said, “I would like to ask Mr. Izumi about one point. He said that he thought he was going to vote for Mr. Noda (Yoshihiko Noda), but instead he voted for Mr. Yasuno, and even though he is a member of a faction, he did not vote for Mr. Noda of the Constitutional Assembly. Izumi laughed and said, “My position is that I am an independent, but I am a member of a faction that consists of the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, and an independent. I am an independent, so in that sense, as for me, I am closely related to Mr. Yasuno, so I wrote the letter as a show of support for him to do his best,” he said, revealing the reason why he voted for Mr. Yasuno rather than Mr. Noda. Mr. Kakihana said, “I am not sure what a faction is, and Mr. Izumi is unaffiliated as far as we are concerned. But in the Diet, is it beneficial for Mr. Izumi to form a group? I asked. Mr. Izumi replied, “For example, if we do not form a faction, we are divided into various committees in the Diet for discussions, but we are not allowed to join any of them. In my case, I am on four committees and a research committee, but Mr. Yasuno is only on one because he is not a member of a faction. In that sense, it would be a waste if I wanted to play an active role in many committees, but the number of committees to which I belong is reduced. That’s the way it is, though. In response, Announcer Kakihana asked, “Since you are a member of the Constituent Assembly, did you expect Mr. Izumi to write in Yoshihiko Noda as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and vote for him? Suda also pointed out, “That is why there were voices from within the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan calling Mr. Izumi a ‘traitor. Izumi said, “This may be a matter of how much respect to show for the existing customs. From my point of view, I was not told to form a faction, but rather I was invited to join a faction. I was invited to join the group, and that is how I joined. I think I joined the group unconditionally, but those who have been here for a long time think that is a given since I joined the group, so I guess that is the difference. Mr. Izumi then reiterated, “I really have high expectations for you, Mr. Yasuno, and I think you are bringing a new wind to Nagatacho by thinking in a different way and using AI. I really hope that you will do your best.