Japanese politician was Zero Suit Samus in a Metroid ad and fans have just noticed

People are discovering that a woman who used to be a model – and even appeared in commercials for the video game Metroid: Zero Mission – is now a politician in Japan.

Chisato Morishita currently serves as a Vice-Minister of the Environment in Japan, but before her political career, she was known as Samus Aran, the video game hero who battled aliens and navigated treacherous environments.

The 44-year-old politician once appeared as Zero Suit Samus in ads for the 2004 Nintendo Game Boy Advance game, Metroid: Zero Mission, which was a revamped version of the classic sci-fi platformer.

The Japanese marketing campaign for the game featured a brief live-action commercial with actress Morishita portraying Samus Aran. The ad showed her in Samus’s recognizable blue Zero Suit, crawling through vents similar to those in the Alien movies, fighting alien creatures, and then transforming into her powerful Varia Suit.

Japanese politician was once Samus Aran

It’s not surprising that people are talking about how her previous work and current government job connect. Many online are amazed to discover someone who used to be involved with a popular Nintendo series is now in a high-ranking position in government.

One person compared the game to a live-action version of Metroid, saying it’s the closest we’ll get until Nintendo and Sony make an official adaptation. Another viewer was impressed by how different it was from previous installments, calling it a complete turnaround.

Morishita also contributed to the game’s official website, creating a “Play Diary” guide and signing promotional items given away as prizes.

Before becoming a politician, Morishita worked in the Japanese entertainment industry throughout the 2000s. She started as a model and race queen, then appeared on TV shows, in movies, and in advertising. She also had roles in popular series like Kamen Rider and Bleach.

After leaving the entertainment industry in 2019, she entered politics and was eventually elected to Japan’s House of Representatives. What makes her unique is her background – before becoming a politician, she was known for performing while dressed as a famous video game character, even pretending to shoot aliens! It’s an unusual past for a Vice-Minister of the Environment, but she embraces it.

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2026-03-26 14:49