Photo/Illutration Yoshikazu Higashitani’s nameplate remains horizontal, indicating his absence at the Upper House plenary session on March 8. (Koichi Ueda)

YouTuber-turned-lawmaker Yoshikazu Higashitani failed to appear in the Diet on March 8 as ordered by the Upper House’s disciplinary committee, all but sealing the fate of his short-lived political career.

Higashitani, a popular video gossip blogger known online as “GaaSyy” who was swept into office in last summer’s Upper House elections, was called to the chamber’s plenary session to apologize for never once setting foot in the Diet since being elected.

It is now widely expected that he could officially get the boot by next week.

The ruling and opposition parties now intend to hold another disciplinary committee meeting as early as March 10 to expel him from the Diet, sources said.

The decision is expected to be finalized by lawmakers in a plenary session on March 15, the sources said.

At the March 8 plenary session, Upper House Speaker Hidehisa Otsuji said he would refer Higashitani to the disciplinary committee because he “didn’t obey the decision of the Upper House.”

Higashitani had sent the chamber a video of himself reading out an apology, but it was returned to him. Shortly afterward, the ruling and opposition parties started preparing for the process of stripping him of his status as a Diet member.

But Higashitani will be given another chance to explain himself in person. He is to be granted time to speak at the March 10 meeting to explain his behavior, sources said.

Higashitani ran in the July Upper House election as a candidate of the NHK party, which opposes fees collected by the public broadcaster.

He won his first seat in the election under the proportional representation system but has yet to attend a Diet session and has refused to return from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

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