Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, has long been active in dealing with humanitarian and women's issues, ranging from sexual harassment to domestic violence to foreigners' rights.
Born in Miyazaki Prefecture in 1955, she graduated from the University of Tokyo's law department, where she met her husband, Yuichi Kaido, who is also an activist and well-known lawyer on humanitarian issues and a strong opponent of the death penalty. The couple have a daughter.
However, Fukushima and Kaido are not registered as a married couple and keep their own surnames, believing that women should be able to retain their maiden names after marriage. She is actively pursuing legislation that would grant them this freedom.