Toru Hashimoto

Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka city is probably the best-known mayor in Japan. He was initially an attorney, but he made himself known as an entertainer, and the governor of Osaka Prefecture, and then the mayor of Osaka city.

He was born in Shibuya ward, Tokyo. His father, a gang member, committed suicide when he was in second grade. His mother had already divorced his father by the time Toru Hashimoto can remember. He and his mother moved to Suita, Osaka when he was in fifth grade. He failed the entrance examination for Waseda University but was successful next year and became enrolled. In March 1994, he graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University and became an attorney. In April, he joined the Kabashima law firm. In 1998, he opened Hashimoto General Law Firm and the business was very successful. He began to appear on TV in 2003. He appeared on a nationwide variety show "The Law Firm that is Famous for Ques" starting in April that year, and the variety show that was initially aired locally in the Kansai region and now in most parts of Japan except Tokyo, "Is it Okay to Go That Far?" from July that year. Toru Hashimoto expecially gained popularity in "Is it Okay to Go That Far?" by saying what many people thought but no politicians would point out. He was elected the governor of Osaka Prefecture in 2009. In 2011, he was voted in as the mayor of Osaka city based on his stance for the Osaka Metropolis plan.

Recently, he became famous worldwide by saying "Japanese Army needed comfort woman at that time" and by stating the current Japan's stance toward comfort women. He also said he had suggested the U.S. Army utilize lawful sex-related industry to prevent raping incidents referring to the ones by U.S. soldiers in Okinawa. He received criticism from home and abroad. He caused nationwide controversy over comfort women on Japanese TV shows.