Do we like Kazuo Shii?
Our score: 7 out of 10. Clear public support for same-sex marriage and a steady record of backing equality, but not much reporting on how he treats people day to day.
Kazuo Shii is the veteran face of Japan's Communist Party, a very different beast from a Soviet-style outfit as far as most voters are concerned. He's the former party leader, having handed over to Tomoko Tamura in 2024, and he stayed on as chairman of the Central Committee.
The latest news is a farewell of sorts. In January 2026 he told a press conference he won't contest the next House of Representatives election, saying he thought it natural to hand the seat on at the earliest opportunity. It reads as a planned succession rather than a scandal.
Days later he was back in fighter mode, telling TBS that Prime Minister Takaichi's snap dissolution was unconstitutional. He argued it could pave the way for dictatorial rule and burdened snow-belt regions drafting budgets. Where you land depends on whether you read that as sound constitutional argument or opposition politics as usual.
On the harm check, he comes out well. At Tokyo Rainbow Pride in 2022 he pointed to a court ruling against the same-sex marriage ban and pledged his party would push for an LGBTQ equality law and a Civil Code change to let same-sex couples marry. He said a society respecting LGBTQ people is one where everyone can live with dignity.
On the good-person test, we found no court losses, no accusations of mistreating staff and nothing from established outlets suggesting a nasty streak. Honest caveat: most English coverage of him is from his own party's friends, and we couldn't open voting records or fact-check pages, so the file is thinner than we'd like.