For weeks, Hikaru Fujita, a candidate in Japan¡¯s parliamentary elections on Sunday, wrestled with a secret. She was pregnant with her first child ¡ª a joyous milestone for her and her husband.
But Fujita, 35, a Harvard-educated former diplomat, worried that publicizing her pregnancy could hurt her campaign. In late January, she set aside her fears, announcing on social media that she had been ¡°blessed with new life.¡±
¡°I wanted to show that even pregnant women could run,¡± Fujita, from Nagano prefecture, said in an interview. ¡°I wanted to send a message to the younger generation.¡±
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