Akiko Santō
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山東 昭子
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Santō in 2020
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| President of the House of Councillors | |
| In office 1 August 2019 – 3 August 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Chūichi Date |
| Succeeded by | Hidehisa Otsuji |
| Vice President of the House of Councillors | |
| In office 7 August 2007 – 30 July 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Akira Imaizumi |
| Succeeded by | Hidehisa Otsuji |
| Director General of Science and Technology Agency | |
| In office 29 December 1990 – 5 November 1991 | |
| Prime Minister | Toshiki Kaifu |
| Preceded by | Tomoji Ōshima |
| Succeeded by | Kanzō Tanigawa |
| Member of House of Councillors | |
| Assumed office 29 July 2001 | |
| Constituency | National PR |
| In office 25 August 1995 – 2 October 1996 | |
| Constituency | National PR |
| In office 7 July 1974 – 7 July 1992 | |
| Constituency | National district (1974–1986) National PR (1986–1992) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1942-05-11) 11 May 1942 (age 82) Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic |
| Alma mater | Bunka Gakuin |
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Akiko Santō (山東 昭子, Santō Akiko, born 11 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who was the president of the House of Councillors of Japan from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she was previously the vice president of the House of Councillors from 2007 to 2010.
A native of Tokyo and graduate of Bunka Gakuin, Santo is the grandniece of Kodama Ryōtarō (September 1872 – October 25, 1921), a member of the House of Representatives.[1]
Santo was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1974 after working as an actress and reporter. She was parliamentary vice-minister of environment (Ohira cabinet), and minister of state and director general of the Science and Technology Agency (Kaifu cabinet, 1990–91). She became vice president of the House of Councillors in 2007, and chaired the joint plenary meeting of party members of both houses of the Diet.[2]
Santo played a role in the sale of three of the Senkaku Islands. She had known the landowner (Kurihara family) for 30 years, and in 2011 he told her that he wanted to sell to the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara (whose nationalistic book he liked), instead of to the government and the prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda. The latter proposed a land swap, the former cash, and eventually the state bought the land for $25.5 million in 2012.[3]
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