Shunji Kōno (河野 俊嗣, Kōno Shunji; born 8 September 1964) is a Japanese politician and the governor of Miyazaki…Shunji Kōno (河野 俊嗣, Kōno Shunji; born 8 September 1964) is a Japanese politician and the governor of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. In 2014, he was re-elected for a second term as the Miyazaki governor.
Kazuhiko Ōigawa (大井川 和彦, Ōigawa Kazuhiko; born 3 April 1964) is a Japanese politician who serves as the current…Kazuhiko Ōigawa (大井川 和彦, Ōigawa Kazuhiko; born 3 April 1964) is a Japanese politician who serves as the current governor of Ibaraki Prefecture. A native of Tsuchiura and graduate of the Law School of the University of Tokyo, he entered the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in 1988. After studying at University of Washington Law School in 1996, in 1998 he became the first head of the Singapore office for the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. He left the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2003, and from that same year he was a Microsoft Asia Executive Officer. After serving as Managing Executive Officer of Microsoft, he became Senior Managing Executive Officer of Cisco Systems from 2010 and in 2016, he was appointed as a director of Dwango, the company that manages Niconico Douga. He was elected governor of Ibaraki prefecture in 2017 after defeating six-term incumbent Masaru Hashimoto in a three cornered race. In July 2019, Ibaraki became the first prefecture to issue partnership certificates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples. Announcing the reform, Gov. Ōigawa stated that ″This is a matter of human rights, and we must work swiftly in order to eliminate discrimination and prejudices″.
Masao Uchibori (Japanese: 内堀 雅雄, Hepburn: Uchibori Masao; born 26 March 1964) is a Japanese politician and the current…Masao Uchibori (Japanese: 内堀 雅雄, Hepburn: Uchibori Masao; born 26 March 1964) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. He previously served as the vice-governor of his predecessor Yūhei Satō and was elected in October 2014 after Satō chose not to contest the election.
Kanehiko Shindō is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. He is a representative…Kanehiko Shindō is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan. He is a representative in the national proportional representation block.
Itaru Nakamura (born 4 July 1963) is a Japanese police officer who served as the 29th Chief of the National Police…Itaru Nakamura (born 4 July 1963) is a Japanese police officer who served as the 29th Chief of the National Police Agency from 2021 to 2022.
Yasufumi Tanahashi (棚橋 泰文, Tanahashi Yasufumi; born 11 February 1963), is a Japanese politician who served as the…Yasufumi Tanahashi (棚橋 泰文, Tanahashi Yasufumi; born 11 February 1963), is a Japanese politician who served as the Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission.
Katsuyuki Ichimi (一見 勝之, Ichimi Katsuyuki; born 30 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as…Katsuyuki Ichimi (一見 勝之, Ichimi Katsuyuki; born 30 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Mie Prefecture since 2021.
Seiji Hamada (浜田省司, Hamada Seiji; born 23 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of…Seiji Hamada (浜田省司, Hamada Seiji; born 23 January 1963) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Kōchi Prefecture since 2019.
Tatsuya Satō (佐藤 裁也, born 25 November 1962) is a Japanese former civil servant and corporate auditor. He served in…Tatsuya Satō (佐藤 裁也, born 25 November 1962) is a Japanese former civil servant and corporate auditor. He served in Japan's central government, including positions within the Cabinet Secretariat (Japan) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications(MIC), and later became an outside statutory auditor of NTT West, a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. Satō is the author of Okinawa Tantō 2000-nichi no Kiroku: Heisei no Okinawa Shinkō (2022). The volume includes introductory prefaces by Hisashi Owada and Teijirō Furukawa, and an analytical commentary by historian Makoto Iokibe (五百籏頭眞). The book was reviewed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs journal Diplomacy (Vol. 77, 2023), which discussed its account of Okinawa policy during the administrations of Prime Ministers Ryutaro Hashimoto and Keizō Obuchi.
Yasutoshi Nishimura (西村 康稔, Nishimura Yasutoshi; born 15 October 1962) is a Japanese politician who serves as chairman…Yasutoshi Nishimura (西村 康稔, Nishimura Yasutoshi; born 15 October 1962) is a Japanese politician who serves as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Election Strategy Committee since 2026. He was previously Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2022 to 2023 and as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy from 2019 to 2021. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2003, representing Hyogo 9th district. Nishimura resigned from his cabinet posts in December 2023 amid allegations of a slush fund involving himself and several other ministers and members of the LDP.
Hu Heping (Chinese: 胡和平; pinyin: Hú Hépíng; born 24 October 1962) is a Chinese politician and the current executive…Hu Heping (Chinese: 胡和平; pinyin: Hú Hépíng; born 24 October 1962) is a Chinese politician and the current executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Previously, he served as the governor and party secretary of Shaanxi province, party secretary of Tsinghua University and Minister of Culture and Tourism.
Hirohiko Izumida (泉田 裕彦, Izumida Hirohiko; born 15 September 1962) is a former Japanese politician who served as the…Hirohiko Izumida (泉田 裕彦, Izumida Hirohiko; born 15 September 1962) is a former Japanese politician who served as the Governor of Niigata Prefecture between 2004 and 2016.
Tatsuji Sugimoto (杉本 達治, Sugimoto Tatsuji; born 31 July 1962) is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Fukui…Tatsuji Sugimoto (杉本 達治, Sugimoto Tatsuji; born 31 July 1962) is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Fukui Prefecture from 2019 to 2025. He is from Gifu Prefecture.
Shinji Hirai (平井 伸治, Hirai Shinji; born 17 September 1961) is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture…Shinji Hirai (平井 伸治, Hirai Shinji; born 17 September 1961) is a Japanese politician, the governor of Tottori Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2007. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with the B.L. degree in 1984 and joined the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.
Hideo Tarumi (垂秀夫) (born May 23, 1961) is a Japanese diplomat who served as the Ambassador to China, from November 2020…Hideo Tarumi (垂秀夫) (born May 23, 1961) is a Japanese diplomat who served as the Ambassador to China, from November 2020 to December 2023.
Ryōsei Akazawa (赤沢 亮正, Akazawa Ryōsei; born 18 December 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Ryōsei Akazawa (赤沢 亮正, Akazawa Ryōsei; born 18 December 1960) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), representing the Tottori 2nd district in Tottori Prefecture.
Kamon Iizumi (飯泉 嘉門, Iizumi Kamon; born 29 July 1960) is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Tokushima…Kamon Iizumi (飯泉 嘉門, Iizumi Kamon; born 29 July 1960) is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Tokushima Prefecture. A native of Ikeda, Osaka and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1984. Iizumi was elected as a governor of Tokushima Prefecture in 2003 and served for 5 terms. Iizumi ran for 6th term in 2023, despite LDP officials wanting him to retire. Iizumi ended up third in the elections, receiving 26% of the vote.
Kōji Matsui (松井 孝治, Matsui Kōji; born 24 April 1960) is a Japanese politician who was elected Mayor of Kyoto in 2024.…Kōji Matsui (松井 孝治, Matsui Kōji; born 24 April 1960) is a Japanese politician who was elected Mayor of Kyoto in 2024. Matsui was a member of the House of Councillors from Kyoto at-large district between 2001 and 2013, as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yukio Hatoyama Cabinet. Before entering politics Matsui was a bureaucrat in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Hideaki Ōmura (大村 秀章, Ōmura Hideaki; born 9 March 1960) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Aichi…Hideaki Ōmura (大村 秀章, Ōmura Hideaki; born 9 March 1960) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Aichi Prefecture and a former member of the House of Representatives.
Buichiro Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田武一郎, Hepburn: Kuroda Buichiro; born February 20, 1960) is a Japanese official who serves…Buichiro Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田武一郎, Hepburn: Kuroda Buichiro; born February 20, 1960) is a Japanese official who serves as Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency since December 2025.
Yasuhiro Hanashi (葉梨 康弘, Hanashi Yasuhiro, born 1959) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Justice…Yasuhiro Hanashi (葉梨 康弘, Hanashi Yasuhiro, born 1959) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Justice from August to November 2022. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and has served in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009 and again since 2012. A native of Ibaraki Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the National Police Agency in 1982 becoming the director in the Juvenile Community Safety division. After leaving the agency in 1999, he was elected to public office for the first time in 2003 representing Ibaraki 3rd district, which includes the cities of Ryugasaki and Ushiku, among others. He also served as Vice Minister of Justice in 2017, and Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2020. Hanashi resigned as Justice Minister on 11 November 2022 following comments he made to a political gathering earlier in the week suggesting that the Justice Minister was a “unspectacular position” that became "a top story in daytime news programs only when stamping a seal on documents of execution." and “Serving as justice minister won't help raise much money or secure many votes”. Opposition leaders like Akira Koike of the Japanese Communist Party said that Hanashi was disrespecting the post and its responsibilities, as well as making light of the death penalty. Hasashi’ comments follow a string of highly publicized LDP scandals like the Unification Church Scandal, that deeply harmed the party’s reputation, and led Prime Minister Kishida to take a firm stance against scandal in the Party. He dismissed 4 ministers in a cabinet reshuffle to solidify this stance.
Hideto Ōnishi (大西 秀人, Ōnishi Hideto; born 23 August 1959) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Takamatsu…Hideto Ōnishi (大西 秀人, Ōnishi Hideto; born 23 August 1959) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Satsuki Katayama (née Tomonaga; 9 May 1959) is a Japanese politician serving in Japan's House of Councillors, having…Satsuki Katayama (née Tomonaga; 9 May 1959) is a Japanese politician serving in Japan's House of Councillors, having been elected in July 2010 as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). She previously represented the Shizuoka 7th district in the House of Representatives for one term from 2005 until 2009. She has served as the first woman Minister of Finance since 21 October 2025 in the first and second Takaichi cabinet.
Norihiko Akagi (赤城 徳彦, Akagi Norihiko; born 18 April 1959) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic…Norihiko Akagi (赤城 徳彦, Akagi Norihiko; born 18 April 1959) is a Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Makabe District, Ibaraki and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1983 to 1988. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1990. Akagi took office as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after the suicide of his predecessor, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, in May 2007. Not even two months after being inaugurated, Akagi found himself indicted in a political funding scandal not entirely different from the one his predecessor had been embroiled in as he was alleged to have registered multi-million yen expenditures on an office which did not exist. Akagi was asked to make receipts official but refused. On 17 July he appeared at a press conference with two adhesive plasters on his face, puzzling reporters but still refusing to make receipts official. Akagi resigned as Minister on 1 August 2007, after the upper house election. Minister of the Environment, Masatoshi Wakabayashi, became concurrent Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and stayed until 27 August 2007, when Shinzō Abe announced a new cabinet. Akagi's virtual successor was Takehiko Endo appointed on 27 August.
Shun'ichi Kuryu (栗生 俊一, Kuryu Shun'ichi; born 6 December 1958) is a Japanese police officer who served as Deputy Chief…Shun'ichi Kuryu (栗生 俊一, Kuryu Shun'ichi; born 6 December 1958) is a Japanese police officer who served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency from 2018 to 2020.
Masahiko Metoki is a Japanese politician who is serving as Director General of the Universal Postal Union, an agency of…Masahiko Metoki is a Japanese politician who is serving as Director General of the Universal Postal Union, an agency of the United Nations, since January 2022.
Isamu Ueda (上田 勇, Ueda Isamu; born 5 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who serves as a…Isamu Ueda (上田 勇, Ueda Isamu; born 5 August 1958) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, who serves as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yokohama, Kanagawa and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1981 to 1993. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993.
Yasushi Furukawa (古川 康, Furukawa Yasushi; born 15 July 1958) is a Japanese politician and current member of the House…Yasushi Furukawa (古川 康, Furukawa Yasushi; born 15 July 1958) is a Japanese politician and current member of the House of Representatives. He was previously the governor of Saga Prefecture from 2003 to 2014. A native of Karatsu, Saga, he graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1982 and entered the Ministry of Home Affairs upon graduation.
Hideyo Hanazumi (花角 英世, Hanazumi Hideyo; born 22 May 1958) is a Japanese politician serving as the Governor of Niigata…Hideyo Hanazumi (花角 英世, Hanazumi Hideyo; born 22 May 1958) is a Japanese politician serving as the Governor of Niigata Prefecture, following his election in June 2018. Prior to his election, Hanazumi served as a vice commandant in the Japan Coast Guard and as Vice Governor of Niigata.
Masatsugu Asakawa (浅川 雅嗣, Asakawa Masatsugu; born 25 January 1958), a Japanese civil servant, was the president of the…Masatsugu Asakawa (浅川 雅嗣, Asakawa Masatsugu; born 25 January 1958), a Japanese civil servant, was the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Asakawa, who took office on 17 January 2020, was the 10th president of ADB. He was formerly special adviser to Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan, and to Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister of Japan and minister of finance. He was also formerly the vice minister for international affairs in the Ministry of Finance in Japan.
Minoru Terada (寺田 稔, Terada Minoru; born 24 January 1958) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for…Minoru Terada (寺田 稔, Terada Minoru; born 24 January 1958) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from August until November 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he also serves in the House of Representatives and was Special Advisor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from December 2021 to August 2022.
Kazumi Okamura (born December 23, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme…Kazumi Okamura (born December 23, 1957) is a Japanese jurist who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Japan since 2019.
Kiichiro Satō (佐藤 樹一郎, Satō Kiichirō; born 28 November 1957) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor…Kiichiro Satō (佐藤 樹一郎, Satō Kiichirō; born 28 November 1957) is a Japanese politician. He currently serves as governor of Ōita Prefecture since 2023.
Manabu Matsuda (born 11 November 1957) is a Japanese politician, finance bureaucrat and university professor. He is a…Manabu Matsuda (born 11 November 1957) is a Japanese politician, finance bureaucrat and university professor. He is a member of the House of Councillors, since 2025, for the Sanseitō party.
Hiromu Kurokawa (黒川 弘務 Kurokawa Hiromu; born February 8, 1957) is a Japanese prosecutor who served as chief of the…Hiromu Kurokawa (黒川 弘務 Kurokawa Hiromu; born February 8, 1957) is a Japanese prosecutor who served as chief of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office from January 2019 to May 2020. The extension of his term of office by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in February 2020, followed by his resignation for misconduct in May 2020, sparked political controversy in Japan.
Shigeru Kitamura (北村 滋, Kitamura Shigeru; born 27 December 1956) is a Japanese police officer who served as Secretary…Shigeru Kitamura (北村 滋, Kitamura Shigeru; born 27 December 1956) is a Japanese police officer who served as Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat from 2019 to 2021 and Director of Cabinet Intelligence from 2011 to 2019. Kitamura was a trusted advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on matters of national security.
Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as…Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平, Kishimoto Shūhei; 12 July 1956 – 15 April 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Wakayama Prefecture from 2022 until his death in 2025. He was previously a member of House of Representatives from 2009 and 2022, being elected five times from Wakayama 1st district. Born in Wakayama and educated at the University of Tokyo, Kishimoto worked at the Ministry of Finance and Toyota before entering politics in 2009.
Seiji Hagiwara (萩原 誠司, Hagiwara Seiji; born 28 April 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Seiji Hagiwara (萩原 誠司, Hagiwara Seiji; born 28 April 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) representing the Second District of Okayama Prefecture. A native of Nishiawakura, Okayama and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1980, attending Princeton University in the United States while in the ministry. At age 37, he was the deputy director in MITI's Industrial Policy Bureau. After leaving the ministry in 1998, he was elected for mayor of Okayama, Okayama in 1999, serving for two terms. In 2005 he was elected to House of Representatives for the first time. He represents the 2nd District of Okayama Prefecture, which includes the city of Okayama.
Takehiko Nakao (中尾 武彦, Nakao Takehiko; born 5 March 1956) is a Japanese former civil servant who served as the ninth…Takehiko Nakao (中尾 武彦, Nakao Takehiko; born 5 March 1956) is a Japanese former civil servant who served as the ninth president of the Asian Development Bank between 2013 and early 2020. He is Adviser, Sumitomo Corporation and Chairman, Center for International Economy and Strategy. He is also a board member (external) of the Daiichi Life Insurance Ltd. He teaches international economic policies and development economics as visiting professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Tokyo University and National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Tokyo).
Katsunobu Katō (加藤 勝信, Katō Katsunobu; born 22 November 1955) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of…Katsunobu Katō (加藤 勝信, Katō Katsunobu; born 22 November 1955) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Finance under Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he was served as the three-time Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare under Shinzo Abe from 2017 to 2018 and from 2019 to 2020, and under Fumio Kishida from 2022 to 2023, and as the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Yoshihide Suga from 2020 to 2021. Belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party, he has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2003. Born and raised in Tokyo and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, Kato had a bureaucratic career in the Ministry of Finance before going into politics.
Takatoshi Nishiwaki (西脇 隆俊, Nishiwaki Takatoshi; born 15 July 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current Governor…Takatoshi Nishiwaki (西脇 隆俊, Nishiwaki Takatoshi; born 15 July 1955) is a Japanese politician and the current Governor of Kyoto Prefecture.
Yasuhiko Nishimura (Japanese: 西村 泰彦, Hepburn: Nishimura Yasuhiko; born 29 June 1955) is a Japanese official who served…Yasuhiko Nishimura (Japanese: 西村 泰彦, Hepburn: Nishimura Yasuhiko; born 29 June 1955) is a Japanese official who served as the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household from 2019 until 2025.
Keiji Yamada (山田 啓二, Yamada Keiji; born 5 April 1954) is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Kyoto Prefecture.…Keiji Yamada (山田 啓二, Yamada Keiji; born 5 April 1954) is a Japanese politician and former Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. A native of Hyōgo Prefecture and 1977 graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1977 and served as the vice governor of Kyoto Prefecture before elected governor for the first time in 2002. In 2011 he also took over from Wataru Asō as President of the National Governors Association. Yamada ended his 16-year tenure as governor in April 2018. While stating that he had accomplished his goals in office, Yamada was believed to be preparing for a run in the 2019 House of Councillors election.
Kizō Hisamoto (久元 喜造, Hisamoto Kizō) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo…Kizō Hisamoto (久元 喜造, Hisamoto Kizō) is a Japanese politician and the current mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan.
Kunio Mikuriya (御厨 邦雄, Mikuriya Kunio) was the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) from 2009 to…Kunio Mikuriya (御厨 邦雄, Mikuriya Kunio) was the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) from 2009 to 2023.
Harumi Takahashi (高橋 はるみ, Takahashi Harumi; born 6 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Harumi Takahashi (高橋 はるみ, Takahashi Harumi; born 6 January 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and currently a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).