Makiko Kikuta
Makiko Kikuta is a Japanese politician and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Kamo, Niigata, she graduated from a high school in Kamo and studied in Heilongjiang University in China. After having served in the assembly of Kamo for two terms since 1995, she ran unsuccessfully for the Niigata-4th seat in the House of Representatives in 2000 as a member of Ichirō Ozawa's Liberal Party, which merged into the DPJ in 2003. She ran again in 2003 and was elected for the first time.
Kikuta is part of the CDP's shadow cabinet 'Next Cabinet' as the shadow Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.