Seiko Noda

is a Japanese politician. As of 2005 she is a member of the House of Representatives (lower house), serving her fifth term and representing the 1st District of Gifu Prefecture; she is also currently the State Minister in charge of Consumer Affairs. She is a self-described conservative who affiliates herself with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

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She was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka. Her grandfather, Uichi Noda (1903-1997) was a Ministry of Finance Vice Minister, and later became an elected member of the lower house serving as Economic Planning Agency Chief Secretary and Minister of Construction. She was born Seiko Shima, but before entering politics she was officially adopted and took her grandfather's name.Japan Times, "Fukuda's new lineup", August 3, 2008.

While enrolled at Futaba Academy (雙葉学園) Secondary School in the Tokyo suburb of Denenchofu. She moved to the United States and attended Jonesville High School in Jonesville, Michigan for one year and graduated. In 1983 she graduated from the Sophia University (上智大学 jōchi daigaku) Foreign Language Department with a major in Comparative cultural studies, and took a job with the Imperial Hotel. In 1987, she campaigned for a Gifu Prefectural Assembly seat and won. With interest she watched the battle occurring at that time over the introduction of sales tax between the LDP and Socialist Party (the Socialist Party doubled their number of seats in the 1989...
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