She first ran in the 2009 Tokyo metropolitan assembly elections as a candidate from Toshima City, but failed to win a seat. Her next appearance was in the 2013 House of Councillors election, in which she placed third within the Tokyo at-large district, becoming the first Communist party member to win an at-large district seat in twelve years. One focus of her campaign, along with that of successful JCP candidate Saori Ikeuchi, was the unstable jobs situation faced by young people.