is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and formerly other incarnations of Japanese center-left and social democratic parties. She is a member of the House of Representatives from the 10th District of Osaka. Tsujimoto is also the current policy chief of the CDP. Early career Kiyomi Tsujimoto was born in Ōyodo-chō, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture. She was raised in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture. After graduation from senior high school, she worked as an employee at a department store for two years. She graduated with a B.Ed degree from Waseda University in 1987. While still an undergraduate in 1983, Tsujimoto founded the Peace Boat with fellow university students and pacifist activists, such as Makoto Oda, the Representative of Beheiren ("Betonamu ni Heiwa o Shimin Rengo" — Citizen's League for Peace in Vietnam). Peace Boat is a grass-roots international friendship organization that 'works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment' by organizing educational global voyage. With its growing international recognition and support, it attained Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. As a Japan-based group it criticizes the Japanese government's silence on its aggressive past; the Peace Boat's first voyage was to countries that had been invaded by Japan in World War II and it has consistently worked for reconciliation between Japan and these countries. Its passengers also met Yasser Arafat several times; because of its support for the Palestinian causes, Israel refused the Peace Boat entry into the country in 2002. Tsujimoto also worked in Osaka as a non-profit organization coordinator, and attended the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 representing an NGO. Political career In 1994, the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) came to power under Tomiichi Murayama, in a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Party Sakigake. However the LDP returned to power in 1996 and the JSP collapsed, with most of its members eventually leaving to join the Democratic Party of Japan. Chairwoman Doi reformed the JSP into the Social Democratic Party (SDP); she personally asked Tsujimoto to run in Osaka, as a part of her reform of the SDP to increase representation of women and put stronger emphasis on grass-roots activism, and she was elected to the House of Representatives. As an opposition MP, she rose to fame as a vocal critic of the conservative, ruling