Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly

Current composition

The 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election took place on 7 July 2024. As of 18 July 2025, the assembly is composed as follows:

Electoral districts

Most electoral districts correspond to current municipalities, but several districts correspond to former counties (the counties, abolished as administrative unit in 1921, had initially by definition served as electoral districts for prefectural assemblies in the Empire), namely the West Tama (Nishi-Tama), North Tama (Kita-Tama) and South Tama (Minimi-Tama) counties. The towns and villages on the islands have never been subordinate to counties, but to four subprefectures that together form the islands electoral district.

Incidents

Heckling incident

On June 18, 2014, an assemblywoman, Ayaka Shiomura, was heckled in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly meeting when she asked questions about how to save women who have difficulty in pregnancy and childbirth. The comments were "Can't you have a baby?" and "Hurry up and get married!". When assembly member was asked whether he was one of the hecklers, he denied heckling Shiomura. After the LDP identified Suzuki as the heckler on June 23, he came forward and made a formal, public apology, admitting he was one of the people who heckled Shiomura. Suzuki claimed responsibility for the first comment, but it was not clear who stated the latter. Yōichi Masuzoe, the Governor of Tokyo Metropolis, and fellow assembly member, apparently took part in the heckling. Other hecklers never came forward. On June 25, the assembly passed a resolution, aiming to restore trust, and settle the issue.

Reactions

Some believe that heckling can "give humor" and make discussion smooth and thus view heckling positively. Morita Minoru, a Japanese political commentator, pointed out that the number of "vulgar heckles" has increased. Some argue sexism is a major reason. For example, Tabojin Toshio, who oversaw for the latest Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, said that he did not understand why this is considered sexism (2014).

Several members of Abe's cabinet criticized the incident - then-chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga encouraged the Assembly to "clean up its act", while health minister Norihisa Tamura and Minister of State for the Declining Birthrate Masako Mori respectively described the comments as "deeply disrespectful to women" and "totally unacceptable". The Guardian, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal reported on and analyzed the incident.

Notes

References

References

1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government: [http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/PROFILE/nenpyo.htm Chronological timetable]
2. "会派等別議員名簿 ｜ 東京都議会".
3. 会派構成・会派略称一覧 ｜ 東京都議会. Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, 23 July 2021. Web. http://www.gikai.metro.tokyo.jp/outline/factional.html. Accessed 23 July 2021.
4. [http://your-party-tokyo.jp/activity/769/ KAGAYAKE Tokyo]
5. Tokyo Electoral Commission: [http://www.senkyo.metro.tokyo.jp/data/data05_01.html Prefectural electoral districts] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-05-16)
6. (1 July 2014). "都議会ヤジ問題、どう見る？".
7. (25 June 2014). "都議会:ヤジ幕引き　塩村議員「一つの区切り。私は私で」".
8. "都議会やじ波紋　「産めないのか」「早く結婚しろ」". 東京新聞 TOKYO Web.
9. (2014-06-23). "都議会ヤジは自民党の鈴木章浩都議と判明".
10. (2014-07-15). "都議会で低レベルなヤジが飛び交う本質的な理由".
11. (26 June 2014). "議会にヤジは必要なのか".
12. McCurry, Justin. (2014-06-20). "Tokyo assemblywoman subjected to sexist abuse from other members". The Guardian.
13. "都議会セクハラやじ問題、抗議のネット署名4万人に".
14. "女性都議へヤジ、抗議１千件　自民、発言者特定せぬ意向：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル.
15. "都議会やじ 欧米メディアが批判　NHKニュース".