Photo/Illutration A Tokyo woman holds a news conference on Aug. 23 in which she talks about being the victim of false rumors about a road rage incident that drew national attention. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A Tokyo woman has filed a lawsuit against a municipal assembly member in Aichi Prefecture, seeking compensation for spreading vicious and unfounded rumors connecting her with a high-profile road rage case.

The woman, who runs a company, is demanding 1 million yen ($9,201) in damages in the suit filed at the Tokyo District Court on Oct. 25, according to her lawyers.

The lawsuit was related to an assault that occurred on the Joban Expressway in Ibaraki Prefecture in August. A man fled from the scene, but was later arrested in Osaka on suspicion of attacking a company employee by forcing him to stop after pulling in front of his car on the expressway.

The attacker’s girlfriend was also arrested on suspicion of harboring the suspect. Media reports in the case, which drew national attention and sparked a nationwide manhunt, showed the woman, who was with him in his car, photographing the attack on her mobile phone.

According to court papers, Takashi Harada, a member of the Toyota city assembly, posted a picture of the Tokyo woman, who was not connected with the incident, along with a photo of the attacker, on his Facebook page.

Harada urged viewers to spread the post so that the pair would be arrested by police.

The plaintiff argued that the politician’s act was "vicious" as it was an "attempt by a public figure to actively spread (a rumor)."

In an interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Harada said, “I shared the post to spread it in the hopes that those responsible for the attack would be arrested soon.

“I didn’t mean to defame her.”

He said he deleted the post several hours later when he was alerted by an acquaintance that the woman in the photo had nothing to do with the case.

Harada sent her a letter of apology in response to her request. He said he will respond to her lawsuit through his lawyer.

In a defamation suit concerning posts on the Internet, individuals considering legal action need to identify the party responsible through inquiries to website operators.

But the Tokyo woman could easily identify Harada, as he posted it on his website.

The plaintiff plans to bring a similar lawsuit against others who reposted and spread the unsubstantiated message if she can establish their identities, according to her lawyer.

She received up to 280 nuisance calls a day and more than 1,000 messages blasting her on her Instagram page as a result of the misinformation that went viral.