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The story
Shinji Ishimaru — former leader of the political party “Saisei no Michi” (Path to Rebirth) and a former local mayor who once ran for Tokyo governor — was reported by FRIDAY magazine to have spent the night with a woman believed to be his girlfriend. Ishimaru currently holds no public office and works as a TV commentator and public speaker. On the thread, many questioned the reporting itself, with comments like “there’s nothing wrong with this if they’re both single” and “why is an ordinary man’s love life being treated as a scoop?” — while other posts traded speculation and jokes about the woman’s looks, making the overall reaction a mixed bag.
[SCOOP!] Former “Saisei no Michi” Leader Shinji Ishimaru Caught “Staying Over” with Long-Haired Beauty | FRIDAY Digital
3 hours ago
That’s the line Shinji Ishimaru (44) delivered on the dating reality show “Renai Byoin” (Love Hospital, on ABEMA). Maybe his overly logical style got in the way, since he never landed a girlfriend on the show — but this sharp operator, who served as a mayor in his 30s, was steadily closing the distance with a beautiful woman in real life.
Source: friday.kodansha.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
Uika's a total knockout though, isn't she?
Nah, she's pretty gorgeous actually
Guess opinions differ on that lol
If it's not an affair, just leave the guy alone
Gives off real "high schooler out with his mom" vibes
They're calling it a "scoop" just because a single guy is dating like a normal person
He's not some idol or something
Exactly lol
There's nothing wrong here, it's just normal dating
It's not like tabloids have only ever photographed affairs
Celebrity romance stories are bread-and-butter material for tabloids
lol
Haven't seen an "Avahouse" look in ages lol (Avahouse, a once-trendy Japanese fashion brand)
What's the point of tabloid-stalking ("FRIDAY-ing") a single 40-something commentator?
If he's working as a TV commentator, he's not exactly a private citizen anymore
He's been living there since around last year
Even if she's fooled at first by surface-level kindness and smiles,
I doubt the relationship lasts long
So even an ordinary guy gets this treatment now
Feel bad for both people involved
Especially if she looks like First Summer Uika
Sure he's technically a public figure, but this story has zero public interest — it's just unnecessary
I'd tap out in 30 seconds
Feel so betrayed
Same with Riku/Ryu (the figure skating pair) — everyone assumed it was just a business partnership, but they turned out to be a real couple too
Probably ReHacQ appearances and speaking gigs
Tabloids almost always call women a "short-haired beauty" or an "office-lady-type beauty" — the reason they always say "beauty" is so the woman in the article doesn't feel bad about it
Tabloids have no such tact
It's simply to hook male readers' curiosity
Background and Talking Points
Shinji Ishimaru is the former mayor of Akitakata City who placed second in the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election, after which he launched the local political party “Saisei no Michi” (Path to Rebirth) — though by the time of this report he had already stepped down as its leader. Since he no longer holds elected office, the thread split over whether he counts as a “public figure” or a “private citizen”: some argued that working as a TV commentator means he’s “not just an ordinary person anymore,” while others questioned whether the story needed to exist at all, calling it “just a single man’s love life.” It’s worth noting that this kind of tabloid reporting — photographing and publishing someone’s private life without consent — tends to leave the partner exposed to speculation even while her real name and identity stay hidden, regardless of whether the main subject still holds public office; this thread was no exception, with plenty of comments focused on the woman’s looks.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Former Leader Shinji Ishimaru Caught “Staying Over” with Long-Haired Beauty.”
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