森山真弓氏死去、９３歳　女性初の官房長官

　女性初の官房長官を務めた森山真弓（もりやま・まゆみ）氏が１４日午後１時５２分、老衰のため東京都内で死去した。９３歳だった。東京都出身。葬儀は近親者で済ませた。後日、お別れの会を行う。喪主は長女篠原真澄（しのはら・ますみ）さん、次女白山真理（しらやま・まり）さん。連絡先は日本カメラ財団。
　旧労働省のキャリア官僚を経て、１９８０年参院選の栃木選挙区に自民党から立候補して初当選。３期目の途中で衆院にくら替えし、連続４回当選した。夫は運輸相などを歴任した故森山欽司元衆院議員。
　第１次海部内閣で環境庁長官として初入閣。当時の山下徳夫官房長官の辞任を受けて、後任に横滑りした。在任中に大相撲の内閣総理大臣杯を自ら授与することを日本相撲協会に打診したが、土俵が女人禁制であることを理由に拒否された。第１次小泉内閣では法相を務め、裁判員制度などの司法改革を手掛けた。
　自民党が下野した２００９年衆院選には立候補せず、政界を引退。同年に旭日大綬章を受章した。（2021/10/18-16:22）

Mayumi Moriyama, the first woman to serve as Japan's chief cabinet secretary, died of old age in Tokyo on Thursday. She was 93.
   In the first cabinet of Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, from August 1989 to February 1990, Moriyama was initially appointed to head the now-defunct Environmental Agency and later became chief cabinet secretary following her predecessor's resignation.
   During her tenure, Moriyama sought the role of presenting a sumo championship cup, but the Japan Sumo Association rejected the move, citing a rule barring women from the "dohyo" ring.
   Under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, she assumed the post of justice minister from 2001 to 2003, involved in judiciary reform including the introduction of a lay judge system.
   Moriyama, a former labor ministry bureaucrat, was first elected to the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, for the Liberal Democratic Party in 1980. She later became a member of the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber.