"I Was Gifted a New Life": 35-Year-Old Newcomer Who Revealed Pregnancy During Campaign Defeats Prestigious Political Family

Fujita wins 44.8% in Nagano Prefecture’s 2nd district
Defeats incumbent veteran candidate
Fujita: "A message to the younger generation"

The election of Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Fujita Hikaru (35), who revealed she was pregnant in the middle of the race for Japan's House of Representatives, is drawing attention. In Japanese society, there is a perception that pregnancy and childbirth can work to the disadvantage of female politicians, so observers say it is significant that she was elected after making her pregnancy public.

Fujita Hikaru (35), Member of the House of Representatives. Fujita Hikaru's Instagram

In the election for Nagano Prefecture's 2nd district for the House of Representatives held on February 8, Fujita won 44.8% of the vote, defeating incumbent Shimojo Mitsu of the Centrist Reform Coalition, who received 34%. Shimojo's grandfather and father served as a member of the House of Councillors and a cabinet minister, respectively, and Shimojo himself is a veteran politician who has represented the district twice. In Japan's political world, where dynastic politics are deeply rooted, political newcomer Fujita defeated a candidate from a so-called "prestigious political family."

Her 'pregnancy confession' drew more attention than her elite resume

Fujita graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi University and went on to earn a master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States. She then worked for about 10 years at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handling issues related to economic security and North Korean missiles, before entering politics after a stint as a consultant at McKinsey. Despite this impressive background, what drew the most attention throughout the campaign was her decision to publicly disclose her pregnancy.

At the end of January, she announced on social media that she had been "gifted a new life." Fujita said, "I wanted to show that even a pregnant woman can run for office," adding, "I wanted to send a message to the younger generation."

Cases of pregnant women running for a seat in national politics are extremely rare in Japan. In particular, social prejudice against "working mothers" remains so strong that the term "matahara" (maternity harassment related to pregnancy and childbirth) has come into use to describe workplace discrimination against young mothers. Revealing her pregnancy during the campaign was therefore a choice that carried political risk.

In fact, there were negative reactions online, including comments such as "Is this really appropriate at this time?" In an interview with The New York Times on February 6, Fujita said of the comments directed at her that they were "discouraging and disappointing." However, she also said, "They affect me a little, but in the end those comments are things that I choose not to see."

Takaichi Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan (left), and Fujita Hikaru (35), member of the House of Representatives. Fujita lawmaker X

Prime Minister Takaichi also stumped for her... Fujita: "I want to remain a familiar, approachable figure"

Despite the controversy, Fujita fought the campaign with the support of her party and her family. Although Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae of the same party has not previously spoken out publicly on gender equality issues, she visited Nagano Prefecture to campaign for Fujita. Prime Minister Takaichi said, "There is no one more remarkable than she is," and appealed to voters, saying, "Please give her your support."

Her husband Tomohiro Fujita took a leave of absence from his position as a physics professor to help with the campaign. He accompanied her on the stump wearing a white beanie emblazoned with the Japanese word for "husband."

Japan elected its first female prime minister last year, but women's political participation remains low. In this election, only 68 of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives (28 from single-member districts and 40 from proportional representation) were won by women, accounting for just 14.6% of all successful candidates. This is actually a decrease from 2024, when 73 women were elected. Fujita herself failed in her first attempt to win a seat.

In this election, Fujita ran while openly pregnant and ultimately won. On February 10, local Nagano outlet Citizens Times reported, "This is the first time a Liberal Democratic Party candidate in Nagano Prefecture's 2nd district has received more than 100,000 votes, and it is also the first time a woman has been elected from a single-member district in the prefecture."

Fujita is expected to give birth around this summer. She plans to continue engaging in dialogue at town hall-style meetings and communicating through social media. In her victory remarks, she said, "I was helped by the momentum generated by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae," adding, "I want to restore trust in politics and remain a familiar, approachable presence."