26 Facts About Seiko Hashimoto

Seiko Hashimoto is a Japanese politician, former speed skater and track cyclist.

Seiko Hashimoto has the most Olympic appearances of any Japanese athlete except Noriaki Kasai, representing her native country in four consecutive Winter Olympics from 1984 to 1994 and in three consecutive Summer Olympics from 1988 to 1996, making her a seven time Olympian.

Seiko Hashimoto is currently a member of the House of Councillors from the Liberal Democratic Party, and served as the President of the Japan Skating Federation from 2006 to 2019.

Seiko Hashimoto served on the Japanese Cabinet as Minister of State for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games from September 2019 until February 2021, when she became the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.

Seiko Hashimoto is only the second female in Olympic history to become president of a game's organizing committee after Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of the Athens 2004 organizing committee.

Seiko Hashimoto skated on that frozen farm pond with their friends from elementary school.

Seiko Hashimoto was active as a top female skater for a long time amongst her peers.

Seiko Hashimoto graduated from a high school affiliated with Komazawa University in 1983 and joined the Fuji Kyuko railway company.

Seiko Hashimoto's father gave her the name Seiko after the Olympic Flame, inspired by the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that year.

Seiko Hashimoto started speed skating by her father's parental influence.

Seiko Hashimoto grew up hearing from him that she was born to participate in the Olympics.

Seiko Hashimoto's father was a strict person in everything on sports and housework, and he taught her skating and horseback riding.

Seiko Hashimoto appeared in her first Olympics in 1984 in Sarajevo, competing in 500,1000,1500 and 3000 m speed skating events.

Seiko Hashimoto won the bronze medal in the 1500 m speed skating event in her third Winter Olympic appearance at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, placing sixth in the 3000 m speed skating event.

Seiko Hashimoto placed eleventh in the 3000 m individual pursuit at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and ninth in the point race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Seiko Hashimoto married a widowed police officer from the Diet of Japan in 1998, who brought three children into the marriage.

Seiko Hashimoto kept her maiden name when she entered the House of Councilors, and her Husband changed his family name to Hashimoto as well, because in Japan, married couples must have the same last name.

Seiko Hashimoto was the first lawmaker in Japan to give birth to her a child while in office in 2000, and later had 2 more children, becoming the mother of 6.

Seiko Hashimoto gave birth to her three biological children after fertility treatments, and Seiko noted that fertility treatment facilities gradually increasing access for fertility treatments compared to when she conceived her first biological daughter in 2000.

Seiko Hashimoto initially entrusted employees of her political office with the care of her children while at work but led an initiative to establish a childcare facility at the Diet of Japan, which opened in 2010.

Seiko Hashimoto resigned from Fuji Kyuko in 1993 and was elected to the House of Councilors in 1995, winning re-election in three subsequent elections.

Seiko Hashimoto competed in the Olympics while serving as a lawmaker in 1996.

Seiko Hashimoto served as Vice-Minister for Hokkaido Development from 2000 to 2001, as chair of the Education Committee from 2001 to 2003, as deputy secretary-general of the LDP from 2003, and as state secretary for foreign affairs under the Taro Aso administration.

Seiko Hashimoto had to leave her position as one of two women in Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet to accept her role in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics committee.

The story alleged that Seiko Hashimoto had kissed Takahashi several times despite the latter's obvious attempts to resist.

In September 2019, Seiko Hashimoto became the Minister of State for Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.