Kiyo Murashima (Japanese: 村島喜代, October 1892 – 11 March 1982) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.[1]

Kiyo Murashima
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
1946–1947
ConstituencyNiigata 1st district
Personal details
BornOctober 1892
Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Died11 March 1982(1982-03-11) (aged 89)

Biography edit

Murashima was born in Niigata Prefecture in 1892. She graduated from Niigata Prefectural Nagaoka Girl's Normal School [ja] in 1911, after which she studied at Tsuda Girl's English School. She then returned to Niigata and worked as a dormitory supervisor at Niigata Prefectural High School for Girls and became a member of the Personal Affairs Mediation Committee.[2]

Murashima contested the 1946 general elections (the first in which women could vote) as a Japan Progressive Party candidate, and was elected to the House of Representatives.[2] In March 1947 the Progressive Party merged into the Democratic Party and Murashima failed to gain nomination as a candidate for the new party in the April 1947 elections. She subsequently worked as a mediator for Niigata family court and died in 1982.

References edit

  1. ^ Otsuka Kiyoe (2008) Japanese Women's Legislative and Administrative Reforms in the Postwar Era Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Kagoshima University
  2. ^ a b Analysis of the 1946 Japanese General Election United States Department of State, 1946, p68