Aiko Shimajiri

Aiko Shimajiri (島尻 安伊子, Shimajiri Aiko, born March 4, 1965) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who has served as a member of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

[1] Shimajiri was elected for the first time in 2007 and re-elected in 2010 in Okinawa Prefecture constituency.

[2] Shimajiri was appointed the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs in the cabinet reshuffle on October 7, 2015, and is one of 3 women serving in Shinzo Abe's cabinet.

[4] Shimajiri lost her Diet seat to former Ginowan, Okinawa mayor Yoichi Iha, a critic of the US military presence in Okinawa supported by a coalition of opposition parties, in the 2016 Japanese House of Councillors election.

This was viewed by some analysts as a setback for the proposed relocation of Futenma.