LDP candidate in the Upper House election (Nagano electoral district), Matsuyama Sanshiroku (51), signed an abortion consent form under a false name and handed over 150,000 yen cash after adultery with woman in her 20s (Japanese article)

6 comments

1. **Article Translation (DeepL, edited):**

   > The Shukan Bunshun (Weekly Bunshun) has learned that newcomer Matsuyama Sanshiro (51, Nagano electoral district), running for the LDP in the Upper House election, had an affair with a woman in her 20s at the time, and when she became pregnant, signed an abortion consent form under a false name. He is suspected of forging a private document with a seal.
   >
   > **A very famous person who has a number of programs on a local station in Nagano**
   >
   > Born in Tokyo, Matsuyama has been active in judo since his school days, and after an injury set him back when he was a member of the judo club at Meiji University, he began his career as an impersonator and radio DJ. His stage name is derived from his former apprentice, Chiharu Matsuyama, and his judo novel, Sanshiro Sugata.
   >
   > In his personal life, he married actress Naoko Amihama (53) in 1998, and they are blessed with two children. He is a Nagano celebrity who has many programs on local stations in Nagano and has established himself as a local talent. He is a “sermonizing character” who presents his fans with self-penned aphorisms such as, “The chance to make a big change is called hard work”. On the other hand, he also has a wild side, such as frequenting the VIP rooms of cabarets in Nagano City with local business owners.
   >
   > **Wearing a contraceptive only at the last moment**
   >
   > This time, the magazine interviewed an acquaintance who was consulted by Ms. A, who was in her 20s at the time of the affair with Mr. Matsuyama, as well as other people with knowledge of the situation, to get a fuller picture of the trouble.
   >
   > It was August 2012 when the two, who had met at an acquaintance’s wedding in the past, met again. They exchanged contact information, and soon after, Mr. Matsuyama contacted her, saying that he wanted to meet.
   >
   > After an hour of chatting over dinner, Matsuyama invited Ms. A to his room on the upper floor where he was staying. After taking a shower in the room, Mr. Matsuyama engaged in unprotected sex, wearing a contraceptive only at the last moment. A short time later, Ms. A noticed that she was not menstruating, and when she went to see an obstetrician, she found that she was pregnant.
   >
   > **Fearing that his identity would be exposed, he signed and sealed a consent form using a false name and a false address.**
   >
   > When Ms. A called me on the phone, she told me that she called Mr. Matsuyama and said, “I’m almost 30 years old (at the time), and I want to have a baby.”
   >
   > Mr. Matsuyama was said to respond: “But I can’t get married.”
   >
   > As she shed tears, Mr. Matsuyama continued, “Don’t cry.（I will write a consent form (for abortion), so bring it to me. （I will give you the money (for the abortion), so bring the receipt and the change.”
   >
   > On October 24, 2012, fearing that his identity would be revealed to the doctors and nurses, Mr. Matsuyama signed and sealed the consent form under a false name and a false address.
   >
   > When we visited Ms. A, who was involved in the case, she initially refused to be interviewed, saying, “It’s already in the past……”
   >
   > However, as we asked her questions about the circumstances one by one, she answered as follows.
   >
   > **The response was that there was a demand to “write something, even if it is arbitrary.”**
   >
   > –Is the series of events true?
   >
   > Yes, it is. It is true.”
   >
   > When we sent a letter of inquiry to Mr. Matsuyama’s office, he replied, “It is a fact that I had sexual relations with Ms. A. It is also true that I signed and sealed the abortion consent form with ‘Junichi Hata’ and gave her 150,000 yen in cash.” He admitted to having an affair and signing the consent form under a false name.
   >
   > As for how he signed the consent form, he explained as follows.
   >
   > I did not intend to give her the 150,000 yen as an abortion fee, but I gave her the said amount with the intention of apologizing. I was aware that we had sexual relations only once, and I could not believe it. When asked to sign the abortion consent form, she refused at first, but then asked me to write it down, even if it was arbitrary, because she could not have an abortion without this form. I felt guilty that I might have possibly gotten her pregnant, so I complied with her request and entered a fictitious name and address.
   >
   > **The crime of forgery of a signed and sealed private document carries a penalty of three months to five years in prison.**
   >
   > However, Ms. A refutes this.
   >
   > “There is no way that I would have requested (a fictitious name, etc.). If that were the case, I would have purchased a stamp myself and written a proper name, instead of asking Sanshiroku to do it for me.”
   >
   > Lawyer Shu Ikuta of the law firm Navias said, “The man’s side agrees to the abortion.”
   >
   > If a man writes a false name and an address where he does not actually live on the abortion consent form, he may be guilty of forgery of private documents under Article 159 of the Penal Code. The penalty for forgery of a signed and sealed private document is three months to five years in prison.
   >
   > Mr. Matsuyama’s catchphrase is “No one will be left behind, toward a Shinshu where all people can live happily.” The practice of these words will be put to the test in the political arena in the future.
   >
   > The July 6 (Wed.) 12:00 issue of Shukan Bunshun and the July 7 (Thu.) issue of Shukan Bunshun will provide further details of their relationship, including how he came to write his pseudonym, the full extent of Ms. A’s confession, how Matsuyama responded to the magazine’s direct questioning, and how his wife, Naoko Amihama, supports him.

2. Well, if a deep bow and a fake expression of remorse doesn’t get him off the hook, he could always brush up on his English, move to the US and pursue a career in the Republican party.

3. Story checks out

4. Sounds like standard operating procedure, almost surprised it’s newsworthy.

5. His given name is “Sanshiro,” I believe. He’s been a famous TV presenter in Nagano for quite a few years, and I think he has a black belt in either Judo or Karate.

   I’d heard about the affair allegations before but not the abortion part. He’s probably one of the most famous faces in Nagano so depending on how much people hear about this or whether they even care or not, he may end up winning regardless.

6. 150,000 yen is about USD1000. That doesn’t seem much hush money.