Yukio Jitsukawa (実川 幸夫, Jitsukawa Yukio; born 14 October 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal…Yukio Jitsukawa (実川 幸夫, Jitsukawa Yukio; born 14 October 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Narita, Chiba and graduate of Hosei University, he had served in the Chiba Prefectural Assembly from 1991 to 1993. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993.
Takaaki Yamazaki (山崎 孝明, Yamazaki Takaaki; 13 October 1943 – 12 April 2023) was a Japanese politician who was the mayor…Takaaki Yamazaki (山崎 孝明, Yamazaki Takaaki; 13 October 1943 – 12 April 2023) was a Japanese politician who was the mayor of Kōtō, Tokyo. He was also an advisor to the head of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee.
Yoshiro Okamoto (岡本 芳郎, Okamoto Yoshiro; born 5 October 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Yoshiro Okamoto (岡本 芳郎, Okamoto Yoshiro; born 5 October 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokushima, Tokushima, he graduated from the University of Tokyo in March 1967. He then joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which is now part of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In June 1997 he also received a Ph.D. in agriculture while still in the ministry. He left the ministry in the following year to run for the House of Representatives in the 2000 election but lost. He ran again in 2003 and was elected for the first time.
Jinen Nagase (長勢 甚遠, Nagase Jin'en; born 3 October 1943) is a Japanese politician who formerly served as Minister of…Jinen Nagase (長勢 甚遠, Nagase Jin'en; born 3 October 1943) is a Japanese politician who formerly served as Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe. He was born in Toyama and obtained his LL.B. from the University of Tokyo. After graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Labour. He resigned from this position in 1988 and was elected to the Diet of Japan in 1990. He served as Parliamentary Vice Minister of Health and Welfare under Tomiichi Murayama, as deputy director of the Liberal Democratic Party, as Parliamentary Vice Minister of Labour under Keizō Obuchi and Yoshirō Mori, as Senior Vice Minister of Justice in the second Mori cabinet and as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary under Jun'ichirō Koizumi. He was appointed Minister of Justice on 26 September 2006. In 2012, he told lobbyists “The people’s sovereignty, basic human rights, and pacifism ― these three things date to the postwar regime imposed by MacArthur on Japan, therefore we have to get rid of them to make the constitution our own!”
Taisuke Sato (佐藤 泰介, Satō Taisuke; born 27 September 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a…Taisuke Sato (佐藤 泰介, Satō Taisuke; born 27 September 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Zenjiro Kaneko (金子 善次郎, Kaneko Zenjirō; born 24 September 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Zenjiro Kaneko (金子 善次郎, Kaneko Zenjirō; born 24 September 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yamagata Prefecture and graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was elected for the first time in 2000 as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) but lost his seat three years later after defecting from the DPJ to join the second incarnation of the New Conservative Party. He was re-elected in 2005 as a representative for the LDP.
Takao Abe (阿部 孝夫, Abe Takao; born 18 September 1943) is a Japanese former politician who served as the mayor of…Takao Abe (阿部 孝夫, Abe Takao; born 18 September 1943) is a Japanese former politician who served as the mayor of Kawasaki, Kanagawa. He was first elected in 2001.
Tetsuma Esaki (born 17 September 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who…Tetsuma Esaki (born 17 September 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Ritsuo Hosaka (細川 律夫, Hosakawa Ritsuo; born 8 August 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Ritsuo Hosaka (細川 律夫, Hosakawa Ritsuo; born 8 August 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Takenori Kanzaki (神崎 武法, Kanzaki Takenori; born 15 July 1943) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of…Takenori Kanzaki (神崎 武法, Kanzaki Takenori; born 15 July 1943) is a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives as a member of the Komeito Party. He was born in Tianjin, China during the time part of China was under Japanese occupation. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1983. From August 1993 to April 1994, he served as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in Morihiro Hosokawa's cabinet. Kanzaki was the Komeito's leader when the party entered into the coalition in October 1999 with the Liberal Democratic Party which it still maintains to this day. Kanzaki was a noted critic of Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori. Around the time some members of the LDP were voicing opposition to a local referendum which expressed opposition to a proposed dam project along the Yoshino River, Kanzaki insisted that the voters' decision should be respected fully. In 2001, he stated his support for allowing married couples to retain separate surnames. He stepped down as party leader in 2006 and became an advisor instead. Although Komeito suffered a heavy blow in the 2009 general election along with its coalition partner, Kanzaki was able to secure a position in the Diet thanks to the Kyushu PR block results. He retired from the Diet in 2010 due to kidney failure, but remained a permanent advisor to his party.
Hiroyuki Tani (谷 博之, Tani Hiroyuki; born July 6, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a…Hiroyuki Tani (谷 博之, Tani Hiroyuki; born July 6, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokushima, Tokushima and graduate of Utsunomiya University, he had served in the city assembly of Utsunomiya, Tochigi for two terms since 1979 and then in the assembly of Tochigi Prefecture for four terms since 1987. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001.
Nariaki Nakayama (中山 成彬, Nakayama Nariaki; born 7 June 1943) is a Japanese politician who has served as leader of Kibō…Nariaki Nakayama (中山 成彬, Nakayama Nariaki; born 7 June 1943) is a Japanese politician who has served as leader of Kibō no Tō from 2019 to 2021. He served as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the Cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi and later as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under Tarō Asō. After only four days in office he resigned due to a series of gaffes. Appointed on 24 September 2008, he resigned on 28 September 2008. After being de-endorsed by the LDP he lost his seat in the 2009 general election, eventually returning to the Diet as a member of the Japan Restoration Party in the 2012 general election. He lost his seat again in the 2014 general election. Nakayama's beliefs have been met with controversy, and have been characterized as historical revisionism. He denies the Nanjing Massacre and has pushed to censor textbook mentions of comfort women.
Tamon Hasegawa (長谷川 大紋, Hasegawa Tamon; born 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member…Tamon Hasegawa (長谷川 大紋, Hasegawa Tamon; born 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after serving in the assembly of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Kenji Yamaoka (山岡 賢次, Yamaoka Kenji; born 25 April 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Kenji Yamaoka (山岡 賢次, Yamaoka Kenji; born 25 April 1943) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who served as a member of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Takao Fujii (藤井 孝男, Fujii Takao; 14 March 1943 – 13 April 2026) was a Japanese politician, who was an independent…Takao Fujii (藤井 孝男, Fujii Takao; 14 March 1943 – 13 April 2026) was a Japanese politician, who was an independent member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Toshiei Mizuochi (水落 敏栄, Mizuochi Toshiei; born February 24, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Toshiei Mizuochi (水落 敏栄, Mizuochi Toshiei; born February 24, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Tokamachi, Niigata and high school graduate, he was elected for the first time in 2004. Mizuochi, whose father was killed in action during the Pacific War, serves as the president of the Japan War-Bereaved Families Association since 2015.
Akio Sato (佐藤 昭郎, Satō Akio; born February 10, 1943) is a Japanese politician. He served two terms in the House of…Akio Sato (佐藤 昭郎, Satō Akio; born February 10, 1943) is a Japanese politician. He served two terms in the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature) from 1998 until 2010 as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Hiroshima Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1966 to 1996. Sato was born in Hiroshima Prefecture and graduated from Aomori Prefectural Hirosaki High School and the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Engineering. He joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1966, where he served as Director and Deputy Director of the Rural Development Bureau. In the 18th House of Councillors regular election in 1998, he ran from a proportional representation district with the National Land Development Corporation as his support group and was elected. He served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Director-General of the Defense Agency in the first Koizumi Cabinet and the first reshuffled Cabinet. Regarding the unpaid pension issue of politicians, he was unpaid for 1 year and 7 months. Sato did not run in the 22nd House of Councillors regular election in 2010 and retired.
Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正宏, Morioka Masahiro) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives…Masahiro Morioka (森岡 正宏, Morioka Masahiro) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was the secretary for the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. He claimed that family is the foundation of securing the nation of Japan. He disputed the legitimacy of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, saying that the tribunal helped place a masochistic view of history in the Japanese people's minds.
Hirohiko Nakamura (中村 博彦, Nakamura Hirohiko; January 29, 1943 – July 31, 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…Hirohiko Nakamura (中村 博彦, Nakamura Hirohiko; January 29, 1943 – July 31, 2013) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Yoshinogawa, Tokushima and graduate of University of Tokushima, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 and re-elected for a second term in 2010, both times running on the Liberal Democratic proportional list. He was parliamentary secretary for Internal Affairs and Communications during the realigned Fukuda and Asō cabinets from 2008 to 2009.
Kensei Hasegawa (長谷川 憲正, Hasegawa Kensei; born January 1, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the People's New Party, a…Kensei Hasegawa (長谷川 憲正, Hasegawa Kensei; born January 1, 1943) is a Japanese politician of the People's New Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Kumagaya, Saitama and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications from 1967 to 2003. He was elected for the first time in 2004.
Eiko Kaneta (Japanese: 金田 英行 Kaneta Eikō; 30 December 1942 – 17 June 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the…Eiko Kaneta (Japanese: 金田 英行 Kaneta Eikō; 30 December 1942 – 17 June 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005. Kaneta died in Tokyo on 17 June 2022 at the age of 79.
Tadayoshi Ichida (市田 忠義, Ichida Tadayoshi; born December 28, 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of…Tadayoshi Ichida (市田 忠義, Ichida Tadayoshi; born December 28, 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors for the proportional district from 1998 to 2022. He was the Secretary General of the Japanese Communist Party from 2000 to 2014.
Koya Nishikawa (西川 公也, Nishikawa Kōya; born 26 December 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Koya Nishikawa (西川 公也, Nishikawa Kōya; born 26 December 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Shioya District, Tochigi he attended Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology as both undergraduate and graduate students. After college, he worked at the government Tochigi Prefecture from 1967 to 1978. He was elected to the assembly of Tochigi Prefecture for the first time in 1979 and then to the Diet for the first time in 1996. On 9 December 2020, he resigned as the special adviser to the Cabinet after being involved in a bribery scandal corresponding to a boating trip hosted by a former head of a major egg farm, who was involved in a separate bribery case.
Kazuyoshi Kaneko (金子 一義, Kaneko Kazuyoshi; born 20 December 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Kazuyoshi Kaneko (金子 一義, Kaneko Kazuyoshi; born 20 December 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Issei Kitagawa (北川 一成, Kitagawa Issei; December 1, 1942 in Higashiōsaka – September 7, 2021) was a Japanese politician…Issei Kitagawa (北川 一成, Kitagawa Issei; December 1, 1942 in Higashiōsaka – September 7, 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A graduate of Kansai University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004 after serving in the assembly of Osaka Prefecture for four terms.
Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…Wakio Mitsui (三井 辨雄, Mitsui Wakio; 24 November 1942 – 1 April 2021) was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Sapporo, Hokkaido and graduate of Showa Pharmaceutical University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after an unsuccessful run in 1996.
Mitsuko Tomon (東門 美津子, Tōmon Mitsuko; born 16 November 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Social Democratic Party…Mitsuko Tomon (東門 美津子, Tōmon Mitsuko; born 16 November 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Social Democratic Party who served as the vice governor of Okinawa from 1994 to 1998.
Takeo Kawamura (河村 建夫, Kawamura Takeo; born 10 November 1942) is a former Japanese politician from the Liberal…Takeo Kawamura (河村 建夫, Kawamura Takeo; born 10 November 1942) is a former Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2008 to 2009, and a member of the House of Representatives from 1990 to 2021, representing the Yamaguchi 3rd district.
Hisao Katō (加藤 久雄, Katou Hisao) (born November 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician, and the current mayor of the city of…Hisao Katō (加藤 久雄, Katou Hisao) (born November 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician, and the current mayor of the city of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Katō won his first mayoral election, as an independent, on October 27, 2013, winning 56,424 votes compared to 34,656 for the second-place finisher. On October 29, 2017, Katō was reelected to a second term, winning 69,778 votes. In his second election, he was backed by the LDP, Komeito, and the DP. Katō graduated from Nagano Prefectural Nagano Senior High School in 1961. He then graduated from the Department of Political Economy and Economics at Waseda University in 1965. He worked for several corporations before becoming Chairman of the Nagano Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2007. In 2009, he became director of Shinano Railway. As mayor, Katō led the city government in providing a one billion yen investment in the University of Nagano, a prefectural university that opened in the city of Nagano in 2018. One of Kato's stated reasons for supporting the prefectural university is to encourage university young people to remain in the prefecture after graduating. Katō, as Mayor of Nagano, and his counterpart in the nearby City of Matsumoto, supported a proposal from the Japan Gerontological Society to redefine the age of senior citizens from 65 years to 75 years or older. Katō stated that senior citizens "have more physical and mental stamina than before".
Masatoshi Abe (阿部 正俊, Abe Masatoshi; 4 November 1942 – 25 October 2020) was a Japanese politician who was a member of…Masatoshi Abe (阿部 正俊, Abe Masatoshi; 4 November 1942 – 25 October 2020) was a Japanese politician who was a member of the Diet of Japan. He served as Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs under the government of Junichiro Koizumi. Abe was a native of Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture and graduated from Tohoku University. Abe died on 25 October 2020, at the age of 77.
Tadatoshi Akiba (秋葉 忠利, Akiba Tadatoshi; born November 3, 1942 in Arakawa, Tokyo) is a Japanese mathematician and…Tadatoshi Akiba (秋葉 忠利, Akiba Tadatoshi; born November 3, 1942 in Arakawa, Tokyo) is a Japanese mathematician and politician and served as the mayor of the city of Hiroshima, Japan from 1999 to 2011.
Toshio Fujii (Japanese: 藤井俊男 Fujii Toshio; 28 September 1942 – 2 January 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of…Toshio Fujii (Japanese: 藤井俊男 Fujii Toshio; 28 September 1942 – 2 January 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the House of Councillors from 1998 to 2004. Fujii died of heart failure in Kawaguchi, on 2 January 2026, at the age of 83.
Kensei Mizote (溝手 顕正, Mizote Kensei; 13 September 1942 – 14 April 2023) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal…Kensei Mizote (溝手 顕正, Mizote Kensei; 13 September 1942 – 14 April 2023) was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Yasuo Yamashita (山下 八洲夫, Yamashita Yasuo; born August 3, 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Yasuo Yamashita (山下 八洲夫, Yamashita Yasuo; born August 3, 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, formerly a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hubei, China and dropout of Chuo University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1998 after serving in the assembly of the House of Representatives for four terms since 1983.
Shigeo Omae (大前 繁雄, Ōmae Shigeo; born 28 June 1942) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Shigeo Omae (大前 繁雄, Ōmae Shigeo; born 28 June 1942) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Katsusada Hirose (広瀬 勝貞, Hirose Katsusada; born 25 June 1942) is a former governor of Ōita Prefecture in Japan, first…Katsusada Hirose (広瀬 勝貞, Hirose Katsusada; born 25 June 1942) is a former governor of Ōita Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2003. A native of Hita, Ōita and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry since 1966 before elected governor. In March 2024, he was appointed Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services to UK-Japan Relations.
Hiromi Iwanaga (岩永 浩美, Iwanaga Hiromi; born June 17, 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Hiromi Iwanaga (岩永 浩美, Iwanaga Hiromi; born June 17, 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Arita, Saga and dropout of Chuo University, he had served in the assembly of Saga Prefecture for six terms since 1975 and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1995.
Hiroshi Nakai (中井 洽, Nakai Hiroshi; 10 June 1942 – 22 April 2017) was a Japanese politician serving in the House of…Hiroshi Nakai (中井 洽, Nakai Hiroshi; 10 June 1942 – 22 April 2017) was a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was born in Jilin, China on 10 June 1942, then part of Manchukuo. A graduate of Keio University he was elected for the first time in 1976 after an unsuccessful run in 1972. Nakai died on 22 April 2017 from stomach cancer at the age of 74.
Eitaro Itoyama (糸山 英太郎, Itoyama Eitarō; born 4 June 1942 in Tokyo, Japan) is one of Japan's wealthiest citizens with a…Eitaro Itoyama (糸山 英太郎, Itoyama Eitarō; born 4 June 1942 in Tokyo, Japan) is one of Japan's wealthiest citizens with a fortune estimated to exceed $500 million. He is a controversial figure in Japanese political and commercial life. Itoyama has served four terms as a member of the Diet, the Japanese Parliament with nearly twenty years of active involvement in the ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party. He was a principal figure in a 1974 bribery scandal that resulted in the arrests of more than 90 people, including a senior vice president of Itoyama's company, and Peter Herzog characterized Itoyama as "one of the worst offenders" in having a "cavalier attitude" toward Japanese election laws. In 1989, he was ranked 10th on Forbes' list of the world's richest billionaires, but had fallen off by 1991. Itoyama became the single largest shareholder in Japan Airlines in February 1998 and publicly called for significant changes to management and business structures. He traveled to the United States and began negotiating the sale of JAL hotel properties such as the Ihilani Resort & Spa in Honolulu and the Essex House in New York, despite having no actual authority to do so. JAL management moved to compromise with Itoyama by appointing him Special Adviser to the Chief Executive Officer in exchange for Itoyama's giving up the right to object to management decisions at shareholder meetings. He sold half of his JAL stake on the open market in 2006 after the company failed to pay dividends for two years in a row. He is a best-selling author, with books on political and business subjects, and is the chairman and benefactor of an eponymous educational institution.
Taiichirō Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川太一郎 Nishikawa Taiichirō; 27 May 1942 – 5 July 2026) was a Japanese politician. A…Taiichirō Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川太一郎 Nishikawa Taiichirō; 27 May 1942 – 5 July 2026) was a Japanese politician. A member of multiple political parties, he served in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003. Nishikawa died in Tokyo on 5 July 2026, at the age of 84.
Masaaki Yamazaki (山崎 正昭, Yamazaki Masaaki; born 24 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as President of the…Masaaki Yamazaki (山崎 正昭, Yamazaki Masaaki; born 24 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as President of the House of Councillors from 2013 to 2016. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has served as a member of the House of Councillors in the National Diet since 1992.
Ichirō Ozawa (小沢一郎, Ozawa Ichirō; born 24 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of…Ichirō Ozawa (小沢一郎, Ozawa Ichirō; born 24 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1969 to 2026, notable for his central role in the two occasions the Liberal Democratic Party lost control of the government, in 1993 and 2009. He is often dubbed the "shadow shogun" due to his back-room influence. He was initially a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), serving as its secretary general from 1989 to 1991. He left the LDP in 1993 and subsequently served as head of a number of other political parties, first by co-founding the Japan Renewal Party with Tsutomu Hata, which formed a short-lived coalition government with several other parties opposed to the LDP. Ozawa later served as president of the opposition New Frontier Party from 1995 to 1997, president of the Liberal Party from 1998 to 2003 (which was part of a coalition government with the LDP of Keizō Obuchi from 1999 to 2000), president of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from 2006 to 2009 and secretary-general of the DPJ in government from 2009 to 2010. In July 2012 he left the DPJ with around fifty followers to found the People's Life First party in a protest against the DPJ's plan to raise the Japanese consumption tax. Ozawa's party merged with the newly founded Tomorrow Party of Japan of Shiga governor Yukiko Kada prior to the 2012 general election, in which the party performed poorly. Ozawa and his followers then left to form the Life Party. Ozawa was defeated in the 2026 election amidst the LDP's landslide victory, leaving the diet after 57 years.
Akiko Santō (山東 昭子, Santō Akiko; born 11 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as President of the House of…Akiko Santō (山東 昭子, Santō Akiko; born 11 May 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as President of the House of Councillors from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she was previously the vice president of the House of Councillors from 2007 to 2010.
Masahiko Yamada (山田 正彦, Yamada Masahiko; born 8 April 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the…Masahiko Yamada (山田 正彦, Yamada Masahiko; born 8 April 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) between 1993 and 1996, and between 2003 and 2012. A native of Fukue, Nagasaki, a Roman Catholic, and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993 after unsuccessful runs in 1979, 1986 and 1990. Before running for office, he worked as a rancher and a lawyer.
Tadamasa Kodaira (小平 忠正, Kodaira Tadamasa; born 18 March 1942) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…Tadamasa Kodaira (小平 忠正, Kodaira Tadamasa; born 18 March 1942) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Masahiko Kōmura (高村 正彦, Kōmura Masahiko; born 15 March 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as Vice President of…Masahiko Kōmura (高村 正彦, Kōmura Masahiko; born 15 March 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2012 to 2018. He served in several cabinet position, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1980 to 2017.
Shōmei Yokouchi (横内 正明, Yokouchi Shōmei; 2 March 1942 – 21 April 2020) was a Japanese politician. He represented the…Shōmei Yokouchi (横内 正明, Yokouchi Shōmei; 2 March 1942 – 21 April 2020) was a Japanese politician. He represented the Yamanashi at-large district and later the Yamanashi 3rd district in the House of Representatives in the national Diet from 1993 until 2002 and was governor of Yamanashi Prefecture from 2007 until 2015. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo Law Department.
