Seiko Hashimoto

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Seiko Ishizaki
石崎 聖子
File:Seiko Hashimoto 081222-A-8552S-495.jpg
Hashimoto speaking in Iraq in 2008 as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Member of the House of Councillors
Assumed office
July 1995
Personal details
Born 橋本 聖子 (Hashimoto Seiko?)
(1964-10-05) 5 October 1964 (age 59)
Hayakita, Japan
Political party Liberal Democratic Party
Children Three
Alma mater Komazawa University Tomakomai Senior High School

Seiko Ishizaki (石崎 聖子 Ishizaki Seiko?)[1] is a Japanese politician who was formerly a speed skater and track cycling sprinter. She has the most Olympic appearances of any Japanese athlete, representing her native country in four consecutive Winter Olympics from 1984 to 1994 and in three consecutive Summer Olympics from 1988 to 1996.[2] She is currently a member of the House of Councillors from the Liberal Democratic Party, and serves as the President of the Japan Skating Federation.

Early life and athletic career

Hashimoto was born in Hayakita, Hokkaido, in 1964. Her father gave her the name Seiko after the Olympic Flame (seika 聖火), inspired by the Tokyo Olympics that year. She graduated from a high school affiliated with Komazawa University in 1983 and joined the Fuji Kyuko railway company.[1]

Medal record
Representing  Japan
Women's speed skating
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville 1500 metres
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1990 Calgary Allround
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Heerenveen Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Heerenveen Allround
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1986 Sapporo 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1986 Sapporo 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1990 Sapporo 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1990 Sapporo 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1990 Sapporo 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1990 Sapporo 3000 m
Women's cycling
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Hiroshima Individual pursuit
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 1995 Quezon City Sprint

She appeared in her first Olympics in 1984 in Sarajevo, competing in 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 m speed skating events. In the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she placed fifth in both the 500 and 1000 m speed skating events. She won the bronze medal in the 1500 m speed skating event in her third Winter Olympic appearance at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and also competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, placing sixth in the 3000 m speed skating event.[2]

Her first Summer Olympics appearance as a cycling sprinter was at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where she placed fifth in the women's sprint. She placed eleventh in the 3000 m individual pursuit at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and ninth in the point race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[2]

Political career

Hashimoto resigned from Fuji Kyuko in 1993 and was elected to the House of Councillors in 1995, winning re-election in three subsequent elections. She served as Vice-Minister for Hokkaido Development from 2000 to 2001, as chair of the Education Committee from 2001 to 2003, as deputy secretary-general of the LDP from 2003, and as state secretary (senior vice-minister) for foreign affairs under the Taro Aso administration (2008–2009).[1]

Hashimoto gave birth to a daughter in 2000, followed by two sons. She initially entrusted employees of her political office with the care of her children while at work, but led an initiative to establish a child care facility at the Diet of Japan, which opened in 2010.[3]

Following the resignation of Tokyo governor Naoki Inose on 19 December 2013, she was rumored to be a potential candidate for the gubernatorial election expected to be held in February 2014, along with Yuriko Koike, Hakubun Shimomura, Hideo Higashikokubaru and Yoichi Masuzoe.[4] The LDP excluded her name from consideration in a December 20 telephone poll due to her responsibilities as head of the Japanese competitor delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympics.[5]

In August 2014, Hashimoto became embroiled in accusations of sexual harassment[6] of Japanese male figure skater Daisuke Takahashi. Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun published a story with several photographs showing Hashimoto and Takahashi dancing at a party following the closing of the Sochi Winter Olympics. The story alleged that Hashimoto had kissed Takahashi several times despite the latter's obvious attempts to resist. Hashimoto denied the allegations. Takahashi's management also said that the popular skater had not been harassed.

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140820/politician-joc-official-denies-harassing-2010-medalist

External links

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