MATSUKAWA Rui is a Member of the House of Councillors of Japan, representing Osaka Prefecture. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and earned a Master’s degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, building her career as a diplomat in foreign and security policy as well as women’s policy. In 2011, she served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat among Japan, China and Korea, based in Seoul. In 2014, she was appointed Director of the Gender Mainstreaming Division in the Foreign Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She was first elected to the House of Councillors in 2016 as a Liberal Democratic Party candidate from Osaka, and in 2020 served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office. Her main policy interests include foreign and security policy and women’s participation in society. In 2022, she became Director of the LDP Women’s Affairs Division and was re-elected to the House of Councillors in the 26th regular election. As of 2026, she serves as Deputy Director-General of the LDP International Bureau and Chair of the LDP Cabinet Division II, while continuing to serve as a Member of the House of Councillors.