Key Facts
• June 10, 2025: Shiori Yamao held a press conference to announce her candidacy for the July Upper House election.
• Yamao, a former House of Representatives member, faced questions about past allegations of an extramarital affair with a lawyer.
• She declined to comment on the allegations, stating, “I cannot say.”
• Weekly Bunshun previously reported on her alleged “double affair” with a younger lawyer.
• Reports included claims of the lawyer’s ex-wife’s emotional distress and her eventual suicide.
• Yamao resigned from politics in 2021 after announcing she would not run in the next general election.
• She has since been active in writing under her real name, Shiori Sugano.
• Yamao expressed her desire to return to politics, specifically with the Democratic Party for the People.
• Allegations include her involvement in breaking up a family and controversial remarks about the lawyer’s ex-wife.
• The scandal reportedly disrupted the Democratic Party’s leadership race and caused significant political fallout.
Summary
Shiori Yamao, a former Japanese lawmaker, announced her candidacy for the July Upper House election under the Democratic Party for the People. During a press conference on June 10, 2025, she avoided addressing past allegations of an extramarital affair with a younger lawyer, which were widely reported by Weekly Bunshun. The reports detailed a “double affair,” the emotional distress of the lawyer’s ex-wife, and her subsequent suicide. Yamao, who left politics in 2021, has been active in writing and recently expressed her intent to return to the political arena. The scandal, which disrupted the Democratic Party’s leadership race, remains a contentious issue as Yamao seeks to rebuild her political career.
