Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member Fumiko Kinoshita, left, is seen handing her formal resignation to the assembly's president, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on Nov. 22, 2021. (Mainichi/Masahiro Ogawa)

       TOKYO -- A member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly announced her resignation at a Nov. 22 press conference, following her indictment for repeatedly driving without a license in contravention of the Road Traffic Act, and multiple unanimous calls for her resignation by her peers.

       Assembly member Fumiko Kinoshita, 55, presented her formal resignation dated Nov. 22 to the metropolitan assembly's president, who accepted it. At the press conference, Kinoshita revealed she had been urged to resign in a consultation with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, who is also a special adviser to the Tomin First no Kai, or Tokyoites First Party, a regional party Kinoshita had previously belonged to. She then apologized: "I'm sorry for being complacent in abiding by the law, and I am reflecting deeply on my actions."

       After the issue came to light, Kinoshita was absent from meetings of the assembly and committees she was on, citing poor health. On Nov. 9 she went to the assembly, the first time she had been seen in public for about four months, and announced to reporters that she intended to continue her political activities. But the assembly was in chaos, since the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly already unanimously voted to recommend her resignation twice, and other assembly members did not hold meetings for committees she was involved in as a show of opposition.

       While Kinoshita did apologize at the press conference and state, "Driving in the period where one's driving license is invalid should not happen," she said she had aimed to continue her activities as an assembly member as a realization of women's advancement policies.

       She indicated a strong dissatisfaction with the response taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, saying, "The decision to recommend my resignation is not legally binding, and I'm granted the presumption of innocence (regarding the criminal case). I wished to do my work as an assembly member, but I was confronted with an unreasonable reality where I couldn't do my job." Her lawyer, who was present at the press conference, also criticized the assembly: "It's the same structure as is seen in bullying in schools and workplaces."

       Kinoshita also revealed that she had met with Koike before the press conference at about 2 p.m. The Tokyo governor reportedly told her, "How about if you withdraw temporarily and focus on resolving the traffic accident issue? It's not as if your life is ending. When you want to start again, I'll be there to give you advice." In reference to the advice, Kinoshita said to reporters, "I spoke again with my supporters and took the advice of the Tokyo governor into account to think deeply, and reached the conclusion to resign."

       An assembly member who heard the press conference criticized the language used: "I was lost for words that she interprets this as 'unreasonable.' There is no appreciation for the weight of the recommendation for her resignation, which was issued unanimously by all of us who are chosen by the voters. Who is unreasonable is Kinoshita herself, who tried to continue assembly activities without fulfilling her responsibility of accountability to the people of Tokyo."

       Another assembly member expressed anger, saying, "Her criticism of the assembly's response is misplaced."

       (Japanese original by Shinji Kurokawa, Asako Takeuchi and Hitomi Saikawa, Tokyo City News Department)

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