Ren Hou
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ren Hou (蓮舫, born November 28, 1967) is a Japanese journalist and politician who is currently a member of the upper house of the Diet of Japan.
Born Murata Renhō (村田 蓮舫) in Tokyo to a Taiwanese father and Japanese mother, she studied at the prestigious Aoyama Gakuin school in Tokyo during her youth. After taking Japanese citizenship in 1985, she enrolled in the law faculty of Aoyama Gakuin University, graduating in 1990.
After her debut as a Clarion Girl in 1988, Ren appeared on several television and radio programs as a commentator. Eventually, she became a newscaster on TBS and TV Asahi, covering several historical events including the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
She was married in 1993 and studied Chinese at Beijing University in 1995. In 1997, she gave birth to two children. Ren returned to television in 2000, anchoring and reporting on several TBS programs. She reported from Taiwan during Chen Shui-bian's presidential campaign, which brought her to the attention of Taiwanese political leaders.
In July of 2004, Ren was elected to the House of Councillors representing Tokyo as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. Ren has criticized Japan's diplomacy with China and its refusal to recognize Taiwan, stating that "Japan is too polite when dealing with China, taking a low profile" and "Taiwan is my father's country. Why isn't Taiwan a country?"
Since taking office, Ren has travelled to Taiwan several times on official and unofficial business, garnering extensive public and media attention. She is reportedly close to many senior members of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Her full Mandarin name is Hsieh Lien-fang (謝蓮舫), but she is often referred to as Lien Fang, the Chinese transliteration of her Japanese name.
