Kimi Onoda will take “strict measures” against unruly behavior

Sanae Takaichi announced a 19-member cabinet on Tuesday, hours after being elected Japan’s first female prime minister. During her leadership campaign, she vowed to bring the number of women in cabinet to a level comparable to countries such as Iceland, where six of 11 members are women, and Finland, where 11 of 19 cabinet positions are held by women. However, there were only two women in her first cabinet: Kimi Onoda served as Minister of Economic Security, and Satsuki Katayama became the first woman to serve as Finance Minister.

False deportation claims spread online

The former was also assigned to promote a society of “orderly and harmonious coexistence with foreigners.” However, she has not yet been appointed to lead the Ministry of Mass Deportations, and false claims have been made about this on social media, with one post viewed more than 9 million times. As Newsweek points out, neither the prime minister nor her cabinet has issued a statement outlining plans for mass deportations of foreigners. Onoda also did not mention the matter at Wednesday’s press conference.

“The criminal and destructive behavior of some foreigners, as well as the improper use of public systems, are causing anxiety and a sense of unfairness among Japanese citizens,” she said. “I hope to work closely with relevant agencies to promote comprehensive discussions on various issues as a unified government, including taking strict measures against those who do not follow the rules, and revising current systems and policies that are not suitable for the current situation.”

About Onoda Kimi

Onoda was born in Chicago to a Japanese mother and an American father, and moved to Okayama Prefecture when he was one year old. Her mother raised her on her own and her father abandoned the family without leaving any child support. While in college, she earned her high school civics teaching license but then worked for a video game company. In 2011, she was elected as a member of the Tokyo Kita Ward Council and began her political career.

In 2016, Onoda was elected to the Diet as a member of the Senate. But after the election it was discovered that she had not yet completed the exit process in the United States, meaning she still had dual citizenship status. Onoda apologized for his lack of knowledge before officially renounced his U.S. citizenship the following year. Onoda, a staunch nationalist who has been critical of foreign influence in Japanese land ownership, was dubbed Takaichi’s “captain” during her leadership campaign. She is the youngest member of the new prime minister’s cabinet.

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