Mikiko Kashiwagi

Mikiko Kashiwagi
Government Assembly Leader
In office 1 September 2010 – 1 September 2022
Prime Minister	Kōko Kaga
Minister of Public Welfare
In office 1 September 1994 – 3 January 2000
Prime Minister	Shinobu Furukawa
Minister of Cooperatives
In office 1 April 1990 – 1 September 1994
Prime Minister	Shinobu Furukawa
Personal details
Born	(1966-01-01) 1 January 1966 Yūbari, Takao, Akashi
Nationality	Akashian
Political party	Socialist Party
Alma mater	Hirakawa University

Mikiko Kashiwagi (Miranian: 幹子 柏木; Gothic: 𐌼𐌹ᚴ𐌹ᚴ𐍉 ᚴ𐌰𐍊𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌹 Mikiko Kaśiwagi; born 1 January 1966), commonly known as Mika, is an Akashian politician. She served as the Kōko Kaga government's parliamentary leader in the National Assembly (2010–2022), and as Minister of Cooperatives (1990–1994) and Minister of Public Welfare (1994–2000) in the Shinobu Furukawa government.

Mika was first elected to the National Assembly in 1986, becoming its youngest member. She is known for her champagne socialist image and has a reputation as a doyenne of the Socialist Party. She is credited with playing a key role in securing legislative passage of Kōko's "21st century socialism" agenda, and has been described as "Kōko's second-in-command".

Early life

Mikiko Kashiwagi was born in Yūbari on 1 January 1966. Her father was a factory worker and her mother was a nurse; she has a younger sister, Yuriko (b. 1971). She grew up in a working class family, with staunchly trade unionist parents.

She attended elementary and secondary school in her hometown, and then studied political science at Hirakawa University. She had not yet completed her degree at the time of her election, and finished her studies part-time.

Political career

Mika joined the Socialist Party's youth branch while in university. She was selected as a candidate for a constituency in Yūbari. She won a seat in the 1986 general election, becoming the youngest MNA since the Akashian Civil War. Her narrow, hard-fought victory amidst the "blue wave" was a significant formative experience, and contributed to the esteem she gained in the party.

In the National Assembly, she emerged as a young, high-profile opposition legislator. She was firmly on the left of the SP, supporting cooperation between the crimson and pale crimson blocs. She criticised the SP's leadership for attempting to move the party towards the centre.

Although opposed to her government, Mika personally respected Ran Tsukuda, and at times supported Ran's more left-friendly legislation. Notably, she voted for the 1987 mini-budget's aggressive stimulus measures, which prevented a recession.

Cabinet minister

Mika attending a Shinobu Furukawa cabinet meeting, 1996

Mika took part in street protests during the neoliberal conspiracy. One of the protests she attended turned violent, and she was arrested and sentenced to 3 weeks' imprisonment. The 1990 general election was called in the meantime, and she stood for re-election while imprisoned. She benefited from the "red wave", winning the most first-preference votes in her constituency, while the Communist Party won a plurality of seats nationwide, with the SP finishing third overall.

She was appointed Minister of Cooperatives in the first Shinobu Furukawa cabinet. Shinobu regarded Mika as a "rising star" in left politics, and sought her out as a "kindred spirit" of the left. At the ministry, Mika handled the government's plans to expand the cooperative sector, and built good ties with the Kyōkuren and National Cooperative Party, which provided crucial support to the government.

During this time, her beliefs evolved, embracing the co-operative commonwealth as the ultimate goal of socialism.

Following the government's re-election in 1994, Mika was moved to Minister of Public Welfare. As minister, she oversaw increases in social spending and expansion of assistance programs. She became known for her feminist approach to welfare, dedicating her attention to parental leave, child benefit, and assistance for single parents.

Other notable policies included the creation of arts programs for the unemployed, which she described as "more socially beneficial and contributing to making life more enjoyable than barbarisms like forcing the unemployed to perform slave labour."

She was critical of Shinobu's forceful governance style, warning that she was alienating the NCP and "sleepwalking towards an election defeat". The 1998 general election vindicated her concerns: it produced a hung parliament where the crimson and pale crimson blocs finished only one seat ahead of the light yellow and light blue blocs altogether, and neither side could muster a majority.

Shinobu tasked Mika with securing support from the NCP and independents, a task which she regarded as "essentially hopeless" but still did to the best of her ability. As she expected, negotiations ultimately failed and led to a snap election in 1999, won by the light blue bloc.

Return to opposition

During the 14th Assembly, Mika was once again in opposition. She took a more understated role, using some of her time to study economics and attend lectures on the subject. She turned her interest to the organisation of the SP and strengthening its appeal.

Following the 2002 general election, she was appointed the SP's lead economic spokesperson. However, she once again clashed with the party leadership, and resigned in 2004. She said the leadership was repeating the mistakes of the late 1980s, including "cowering retience towards the party's beliefs, misguided 'rebranding' attempts, and depressing and frustrating our most faithful supporters."

The 2006 general election was a disaster for the SP: it fell to fourth place, winning less seats than the CP. Many of its voters were lost to the United Reform Party, which positioned itself towards the populist left under Liana Ferrari.

Following the party's defeat, Mika volunteered to serve as interim leader, and was chosen unopposed at an emergency conference. She served as interim leader for three months. As leader, she took measures to reform party procedures, revitalise grassroots support, strengthen relations with socialist organisations, and improve relations with pale crimson and crimson parties. She met with volunteers regularly and treated them to dinner at restaurants and nightclubs, which made her popular among the party membership.

In the run-up to the next general election, the party continued to be troubled by low polling numbers. Mika convinced its leader to resign, and a leadership election was held in early 2010, won by Kōko Kaga. Mika had supported Kōko's bid, and the two formed a close collaboration.

Government Assembly Leader

Mika pictured during a meeting with Kōko Kaga, 2011

The SP won the 2010 general election in a "red wave", gaining the first majority in the National Assembly since 1970. Following the final certification of results, Mika delivered an unusually restrained speech to the party's new MNAs, warning them that the majority was "temporary" and "many of you will not be here four years from now", and urging them to "seize the opportunity and put aside personal ambitions to work for the realisation of a more just and joyous Akashi" — using phrasing that deliberately evoked the national anthem.

Kōko appointed Mika to be the government's leader in the National Assembly. Mika commented on accepting the post, "I know this is not a task that will make me very popular, but it is necessary."

Mika became known for her meticulous preparation of votes, and played a key role in passing Kōko's program of "21st century socialism" through the National Assembly. One of her notable achievements were the overwhelming majorities for converting Akashi's welfare system to the basic income–negative income tax model: by acknowledging the contribution of Ran's Universal Assistance program, she secured centre-right support for the reform.

Although the SP held a majority by itself, she continued to seek support and input from the pale crimson and crimson parties. She would schedule opposition business in the Assembly at the beginning of the day, and regularly hosted party leaders in her office.

In contrast to her initial remarks, Mika became a popular assembly leader. She relied mainly on encouragement, entertaining, and good organisational skills to maintain party discipline. She accepted a wide latitude of internal discussion and criticism, but rebuked members whose conduct she saw as self-mutilating towards the party. While identified with the SP's left, she carried out her duties in an impartial manner, seeking to bridge compromise among factions.

True to her warning, the SP lost its majority in the 2014 general election, while retaining a plurality. Kōko formed a coalition government with the NCP, Green Party, and National Union, while retaining outside support from the left and centre. Mika's existing good relations with the parties proved a significant asset. She personally insisted that the NCP be included in the coalition, recalling her experience in Shinobu's government.

Mika was easily re-elected in 2018 and 2022, and her term as assembly leader ended with that of the government. She strongly supports the Mizuki Kōhara government, and the Akashian media speculated she would run for leader of the Socialist Party.

Public image

Mika photographed in a Hirakawa nightclub

Mika has developed a distinctive public image in her career, summed up by one commentator as "a remarkable evolution from youthful firebrand to avuncular doyenne".

She has a reputation as a champagne socialist, and is known for her wardrobe of stylish business suits. She commented that she began to pay attention to her appearance more upon being appointed to the cabinet, and subsequently provided similar advice on presentation and handling the media to colleagues. She said in an interview: "Image is a tool, it isn't inherently virtuous or vile. It's important to not be a slave to it."

She is known for extensively socialising among koenkai, and rewarding members and party volunteers with outings at restaurants or nightclubs. She pays her share out of her personal money, mainly from basic income and social dividends, and has reduced the outings' frequency since becoming parliamentary leader to avoid perceptions of inappropriate conduct. One colleague remarked: "Mika only does that for others. She's more frugal by herself."

She made a cameo appearance as herself in the anime adaptation of Talented Sweetness, in a scene where she is listening to the main characters' request that their application for culture ministry subsidies be given special consideration.

Private life

Mika is married, and the couple have twins. She is a practitioner of Kisekidō. She has been vegetarian since her 20th birthday. She is fond of red wine, making a point of drinking Akashian-made red wine on social occasions, and was formerly a smoker.

She is an avid cyclist, and football fan, supporting Yūbari's football team. Outside of politics, she enjoys reading, writing, and music. She plays the piano, having taken lessons since childhood, and has occasionally played classical and popular piano compositions in public.

She cites Kasuko as her political inspiration, commenting: "She held a government together in an economic crisis, took tough measures without hitting the workers, and sacrificed her political career for the sake of Akashi's health." She has also said she admires Yurikara's response to the Summer of Freedom for the way it "saved Akashi from another civil war", and has praised Astrid Marett as "a great First Minister and a formidable political talent". She is an advocate of closer relations with Delkora and Gylias, and a soft supporter of the Common Sphere.