Running as an Independent Candidate in Tokyo's 15th District
Controversy After Admitting to an Affair Allegation in 2016
Otodake Hirotada, the author of the bestseller "Ochebulmanjok," who was embroiled in an adultery scandal, is running in a by-election for the Japanese House of Representatives (Lower House).
According to local media reports including Kyodo News and Yomiuri Shimbun on the 2nd, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has decided to endorse Otodake as an independent candidate in the Tokyo 15th district in the upcoming House of Representatives by-election on the 28th. Originally, the district was held by a former LDP member who resigned after being arrested on charges including illegal election funding.
Otodake currently serves as the vice president of "First Party," a regional party established by Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko's "Tokyo Citizens First Party," where she is a special advisor, aiming to enter the National Diet. However, Komeito, the coalition partner of the LDP, is reportedly somewhat reluctant about endorsing Otodake due to his past adultery scandal.
Born with congenital limb deficiency, Otodake was born without both arms and legs. He graduated from Waseda University, one of Japan's prestigious universities, and gained fame after publishing his autobiography "Ochebulmanjok" in 1998, which sold over 6 million copies. His message, "Disability is inconvenient but not unhappy," has inspired people not only in Japan but around the world.
However, in 2016, a Japanese weekly magazine exposed allegations that he had committed adultery with five women in the past, sparking controversy. Otodake married in 2001 and has two sons and one daughter. When the scandal first broke out, Otodake completely denied the allegations but later reportedly admitted to having had physical relationships.
Afterward, he reportedly promised Governor Koike, who leads the Tokyo Citizens First Party, that such incidents would never happen again. In 2016, Otodake was almost nominated as an LDP candidate but the nomination was withdrawn due to the adultery allegations.
Meanwhile, in this election to select three members of the House of Representatives, the LDP is fielding a candidate only in Shimane 1st district. Except for Shimane 1st district, where a vacancy occurred due to the death of the incumbent, Tokyo 15th district and Nagasaki 3rd district are seats vacated by former members who left in disgrace due to violations of the Public Offices Election Act and slush fund scandals, respectively.
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