Yoshihiro Murai

{{short description|Japanese politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Yoshihiro Murai

| native_name = {{nobold|村井 嘉浩}}

| native_name_lang = ja

|image = 宮城県_知事_村井嘉浩.jpg

|caption =

|order =

|office = Governor of Miyagi Prefecture

|term_start = 21 November 2005

|residence =

|alma_mater = National Defense Academy

|predecessor = Shirō Asano

|successor =

|jr/sr2 =

|state2 =

|term_start2 =

|term_end2 =

|predecessor2 =

|successor2 =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1960|8|20}}

|birth_place = Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan

|spouse =

|children =

|party = Liberal Democratic Party

|allegiance = {{flagcountry|Japan}}

|branch = {{army|Japan}}

|serviceyears = 1984–1992

|rank = Captain

}}

}}

{{nihongo|Yoshihiro Murai|村井 嘉浩|Murai Yoshihiro|extra=born 20 August 1960}} is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of Miyagi Prefecture since 2005. A native of Toyonaka, Osaka and a former officer in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, he was first elected governor in 2005 after serving in the Miyagi Prefectural Assembly since 1995.{{cite web|url=http://www.senkyo.janjan.jp/diet/profile/0007/00007289.html |script-title=ja:政治家情報 〜村井 嘉浩〜 |work=Senkyo |publisher=JANJAN |access-date=2007-11-22 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119215340/http://www.senkyo.janjan.jp/diet/profile/0007/00007289.html |archive-date=January 19, 2008 }}

In July 2017 Murai approved the online publication of a tourism promotion video that was created using 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami reconstruction funds and starred actress and gravure idol Mitsu Dan.{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/21/national/miyagi-remove-sexist-tourism-video-month-complaints/|title=Miyagi to remove ‘sexist’ tourism video after a month of complaints|work=The Japan Times|date=August 21, 2017|access-date=July 29, 2018}} Female members of the Miyagi Prefectural Assembly, along with members of the public, claimed that the video was sexually suggestive and demanded that it be taken down.{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/21/national/miyagi-lawmakers-ask-governor-to-take-down-suggestive-tourism-video-featuring-dan-mitsu/|title=Miyagi lawmakers ask governor to take down suggestive tourism video featuring Dan Mitsu|work=The Japan Times|date=July 21, 2017|access-date=July 29, 2018}} Murai initially defended the video on the grounds that it successfully brought attention to the prefecture, but hundreds of complaints were filed in the month after publication, and he ordered the video withdrawn in August 2017.