Marutei Tsurunen
Encyclopedia
is the first foreign-born Japanese
of European origin serving as a member of the Diet of Japan
. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Japan
, where he serves as Director General of the International Department. He is currently serving in the House of Councillors.
, Finland
. Near the end of Continuation War
, Tsurunen (then four years old) and his family were among the few survivors of a Soviet partisan attack on the village.
In 1967, at the age of 27, Tsurunen traveled to Japan
as a lay missionary of the Lutheran Church, accompanied by his first wife, who was also a Finn (they later divorced). Having decided to become Japanese, he gained his citizenship
in 1979, He moved to Yugawaramachi in Kanagawa Prefecture
in 1981.
He ran for a seat in the Upper House for Kanagawa without party backing in 1995. He received 339,484 votes, losing a seat to the Socialist candidate who won 371,889 votes. He ran again in 1998 and took 502,712, just 8,000 short of winning a seat. In 2000, he ran as a candidate of the Democratic Party of Japan
for a seat in the Lower House, and again in 2001 for a seat in the Upper House, both unsuccessfully. However, in 2002, a person resigned from the house and he won a seat by "kuriage" replacement, by which he took the seat because he had the largest number of votes after the winner.
He was reelected in 2007 with 242,742 votes.
Foreign-born Japanese
A is a Japanese person of foreign descent or heritage, who was born outside Japan and later acquired Japanese citizenship. This category encompasses persons of both Japanese and non-Japanese descent...
of European origin serving as a member of the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
, where he serves as Director General of the International Department. He is currently serving in the House of Councillors.
Biography
Tsurunen was born Martti Turunen in the village of Jaakonvaara in LieksaLieksa
Lieksa is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Near the end of Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
, Tsurunen (then four years old) and his family were among the few survivors of a Soviet partisan attack on the village.
In 1967, at the age of 27, Tsurunen traveled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a lay missionary of the Lutheran Church, accompanied by his first wife, who was also a Finn (they later divorced). Having decided to become Japanese, he gained his citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
in 1979, He moved to Yugawaramachi in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
in 1981.
Political Career
He first ran for city council in 1992 in Yugawaramachi and won a seat, coming in fourth place with 1,051 votes.He ran for a seat in the Upper House for Kanagawa without party backing in 1995. He received 339,484 votes, losing a seat to the Socialist candidate who won 371,889 votes. He ran again in 1998 and took 502,712, just 8,000 short of winning a seat. In 2000, he ran as a candidate of the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
for a seat in the Lower House, and again in 2001 for a seat in the Upper House, both unsuccessfully. However, in 2002, a person resigned from the house and he won a seat by "kuriage" replacement, by which he took the seat because he had the largest number of votes after the winner.
He was reelected in 2007 with 242,742 votes.