Democratic Party member's erotic past shocks Japan

• Source: Global Times
• [01:51 September 11 2009]
• Comments

Once an eccentric reporter for a pornographic magazine who appeared nude in a horror movie, 33-year-old Tanaka Mieko has shocked Japan as she is now a member of the House of Representatives and the governing Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

Criticism is even being heard inside the DPJ by those who regret not having conducted a thorough check on her past before the election.

Japanese magazine Sports Hochi reported Thursday that Tanaka declared having done only some "odd jobs" when she applied to join the DPJ campaign.

The Japanese political circle was shocked after Tanaka was found Wednesday to have starred in the 2001 horror movie Moujyu tai Issunboushi. Leading democrats immediately ordered a search on the Internet for the movie footage.

The pretty and pure-looking Tanaka was reportedly topless and looked trance-like in the movie.

The "Ozawa girls," the elected young female members of the Japanese National Diet of the DPJ, were called to Tokyo on September 15 for a preemptive warning from DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa.

Tanaka has confessed to being a porn-magazine reporter but has not responded to the new accusation of starring in the horror movie, in which she used the name Kikuchi Mieko, after her ex-husband.

Some democrats also tried to defend her, saying that they shouldn't make a fuss over a movie.