斉藤里恵

Rie Saito is a Japanese politician and author who currently serves as a member of the House of Representatives. Born in Aomori, she lost her hearing at the age of one and ten months due to meningitis. She gained national fame as the author of the 2009 bestseller 'Hitsudan Hostess' (Writing Hostess), which detailed her experiences working in Ginza clubs using written communication. Saito began her political career as a member of the Kita Ward Assembly in Tokyo and later served as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. As a politician, she advocates for accessibility and has successfully pushed for the use of speech-to-text display technology in parliamentary proceedings to support members with hearing impairments. She is also known for her support of selective separate surnames for married couples.