Tomoko Tamura Appointed As First Female Chairperson Of Japanese Communist Party

The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) has appointed Tomoko Tamura as JCP’s first-ever female chairperson today. Meanwhile, Tamura was chosen as JCP chief, apparently in the hope of broadening its support base and attracting a wider array of voters. Tamura is 58 years old, and she is a member of the House of Councillors and the chairperson of the party’s Policy Commission.

Tamura takes over the chair of Japan’s oldest, 102-year-old political party from 69-year-old Kazuo Shii, who had served in the position since 2000. Kazuo Shii was the longest-serving head of a major Japanese political party. However, the crucial decision was taken on the final day of the JCP’s congress in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Tamura is known as a strong supporter of closer ties with other like-minded opposition parties, especially the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP). In fact, Tamura was born in Nagano, graduated from Waseda University, and as a student, she was involved in activism against tuition fee hikes. Tamura has worked for the JCP and also served as a secretary to JCP lawmakers.