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Ex-METI vice minister maintained 2 mistresses as wife battled cancer

Shukan Shincho Apr. 27
Shukan Shincho Apr. 27

Like father, like son.

At least, that is the assessment of Shukan Shincho (Apr. 27) in describing the adulterous behavior of Toshinao Nakagawa, who until last month was the vice minister for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.

According to the report, Nakagawa, a native of Hiroshima Prefecture, maintained affairs with two women while his wife battled medical problems — revelations that would wind up significantly curtailing his political career.

In 2011, Nakagawa, 46, entered into the relationship with the woman who eventually leaked the story. According to the magazine, the pair spent about 300 days each year together. She boasted to the tabloid of receiving rings by luxury brands Tiffany and Bulgari, each worth around 1 million yen, as presents.

Yet she was not entirely satisfied. To compensate for her not being able to marry him, the couple held a fake wedding ceremony in Hawaii in September of 2013.

Preparations were carefully made, such as the booking of a three-star hotel as opposed to a well-known resort to avoid the prying eyes of Japanese tourists.

A picture printed in the magazine show her in a wedding dress with Nakagawa, who has a flower lei around his neck, and a justice of the peace holding a marriage certificate, which Nakagawa signed with the name “Shunchoku.”

Another woman

This is the second time a magazine has accused Nakagawa of such a transgression this year. The March 24 issue of weekly tabloid Friday reported on an illicit meeting between lawmaker and LDP politician Megumi Maekawa.

In fact, his relationship with Maekawa was what led to the end of the affair with the woman who leaked her story to Shincho. The woman told the magazine that his possessiveness, especially regarding her use of social media — he apparently monitored whether she clicked “like” for a post made by male users on Facebook — caused her to end the relationship. However, they reunited.

But on Christmas of last year it all ended for good. According to Shincho, Nakagawa took a call from Maekawa late that night while at the residence of his other mistress, who became enraged after hearing her referred to by the term “ex-girlfriend.”

Nakagawa subsequently wound up in the hallway outside the residence, located in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. Appearing to be crazed, he got down on his knees. “I’ll die!” he yelled as he pounded on the woman’s door.

The woman subsequently alerted Tokyo police. Officers from the Shibuya Police Station arriving at the scene recommended that she file a report claiming Nakagawa to be a stalker.

Bar hostess in Ginza

Nakagawa was first elected to the lower house of the Diet in 2012. The lawmaker is currently serving his second term. He was appointed vice minister of METI last August. He had previously served as a reporter for TV Tokyo, which is where he met the mistress who leaked the story to Shincho.

Nakagawa has three children with his wife, who is currently battling cancer, according to the magazine. His father, Hidenao Nakagawa, is a former chief secretary of the LDP.

The elder Nakagawa is also known for problems with women. In 2000, he resigned as Chief Cabinet Secretary over dubious connections to a right-wing group and an alleged affair with a hostess, aged in her 20s, from a high-end club in the Ginza entertainment area of Tokyo. After Nakagawa impregnated her, he reportedly lied in supplying his name on a document for her to get an abortion.

The junior Nakagawa cited “personal matters” as his reason for stepping down from his post with METI on April 18. “I am truly filled with feelings of sorrow for hurting her,” he wrote on Facebook of the mistress who leaked the story to Shincho. “I am deeply sorry for my lack of moral responsibility.” Three days later, he announced that he would be quitting the Liberal Democratic Party.

Source: “Hawai no ‘jukon’ shashin de ippatsu jinin!” Shukan Shincho (Apr. 27, pages 26-30)