松野明美

Akemi Matsuno is a Japanese politician and former professional long-distance runner. A prominent athlete in the late 1980s and early 1990s, she represented Japan in the 10,000m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and competed in multiple world championships. Following her retirement from sports, she transitioned into a career as a television personality and sports commentator. Matsuno entered politics in 2010, serving as a member of the Kumamoto City Council and later the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In 2022, she was elected to the House of Councillors as a representative of the Nippon Ishin no Kai party. Her political platform includes support for constitutional reform, including the formal recognition of the Self-Defense Forces and the inclusion of emergency clause provisions.