Japan's parliament has expelled a YouTuber-turned-politician, Yoshikazu Higashitani, for failing to show up for work since being elected in July 2022.
Higashitani, who goes by the online name GaaSyy, had not attended a single parliamentary session, despite a requirement for politicians to be present.
According to reports, the 51-year-old former businessman had been staying at his home in Dubai, claiming that he might be arrested if he returned to Japan.
He has so far refused to attend parliament because he fears being arrested over fraud allegations, and defamation claims from celebrities, Japanese media reported.
Earlier in March, Higashitani had been ordered to apologise for his months-long absence but did not attend the parliamentary session.
Instead of showing up for work, he disclosed on his YouTube channel that he intended to travel to Turkey and that he planned to donate his salary to the Turkish earthquake relief efforts.
The Upper House officially expelled him on Wednesday, making him the first Japanese politician to be expelled since 1951.
Being expelled is the most severe penalty that can be imposed on a lawmaker. Such an occurrence has taken place only twice since 1950, and this is the first time in which an MP has been expelled due to persistent absenteeism.
Higashitani is one of the elected members of the party Seijika-joshi-48, this political party, formerly known as the NHK Party, has a singular goal of advocating for reforms within Japan's public broadcaster.
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