Mitsuo Higashinaka (東中光雄, Higashinaka Mitsuo; 23 July 1924 – 7 August 2014) was a Japanese lawyer and politician from…
Mitsuo Higashinaka (東中光雄, Higashinaka Mitsuo; 23 July 1924 – 7 August 2014) was a Japanese lawyer and politician from the Japanese Communist Party, he served for a total of 10 terms in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 2000, representing Osaka's 2nd District. In 2001, he resumed his legal career at the Kansai Joint Law Office, and in 2005, he served as head of the defense team in the Kurabo (Kurashiki Spinning) Human Rights Trial, and in 2009, he served as head of the defense team in the State Compensation Lawsuit for Special Benefits for the Wives of War Dead.
Famous Japanese People: Politician・Legislator
Politician・Legislator: 2,229 people
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city…
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He served as the mayor of the city from 1989 until 2001. He was also the mayor when the Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe in 1995.
Tatsu Ishimoda (Japanese: 石母田 達 Ishimoda Tatsu; 11 May 1924 – 12 February 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of…
Tatsu Ishimoda (Japanese: 石母田 達 Ishimoda Tatsu; 11 May 1924 – 12 February 2022) was a Japanese politician. A member of the Japanese Communist Party, he served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976. He died in Atsugi on 12 February 2022, at the age of 97.
Hajime Tamura (田村 元, Tamura Hajime) (5 May 1924 – 1 November 2014) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet…
Hajime Tamura (田村 元, Tamura Hajime) (5 May 1924 – 1 November 2014) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet posts and served as the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Shintaro Abe (安倍 晋太郎, Abe Shintarō; 29 April 1924 – 15 May 1991) was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of…
Shintaro Abe (安倍 晋太郎, Abe Shintarō; 29 April 1924 – 15 May 1991) was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1986. He was a leading member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was the father of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and part of the Satō–Kishi–Abe family.
Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House…
Soichiro Ito (伊藤宗一郎, Itō Sōichirō; 21 March 1924 – 4 September 2001) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1967 until his death in 2001. From 1981 to 1982, Ito was the Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1924, he studied law at Tohoku University and served briefly as a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.
Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of…
Noboru Minowa (Japanese: 箕輪登, romanized: Minowa Noboru) (March 5, 1924 – May 14, 2006) was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido 1st district. He was from Otaru, Hokkaido, and a graduate of Hokkaido University.
Tomiichi Murayama (村山 富市, Murayama Tomiichi; 3 March 1924 – 17 October 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Tomiichi Murayama (村山 富市, Murayama Tomiichi; 3 March 1924 – 17 October 2025) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1994 to 1996. He was the country's only socialist premier since Tetsu Katayama in 1948, and is best remembered for the Murayama Statement on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, in which he officially apologized for Japan's past colonial wars and aggression. Born in Ōita Prefecture, Murayama graduated from Meiji University in 1946, and became a labor union official in his home prefecture. He was elected to the Ōita City Council in 1955 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party; he was then elected to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly in 1963 and to the National Diet in 1972. After the JSP joined the government following the 1993 election, he became its leader, then became prime minister in 1994 as the head of a new coalition of the JSP, Liberal Democratic Party, and New Party Sakigake. During his time as prime minister, Murayama was noted for his Murayama Statement in which he apologised for the country's actions during World War II, oversaw a crumbling relationship between Japan and the United States, and his government was criticized for its responses to the Great Hanshin earthquake and Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. He resigned as prime minister in 1996, and reorganized the JSP as the Social Democratic Party. The new party lost many of its seats in the 1996 election, and he resigned as its leader soon after.
Noboru Takeshita (竹下 登, Takeshita Noboru; 26 February 1924 – 19 June 2000) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Noboru Takeshita (竹下 登, Takeshita Noboru; 26 February 1924 – 19 June 2000) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989. Born in Shimane Prefecture, Takeshita attended Waseda University and was drafted into the army during the Pacific War. He was first elected to the National Diet in 1958, and served as chief cabinet secretary in 1971–1972 and in 1974, and as finance minister from 1979–1980, 1982–1986, and in 1988, during which he signed the Plaza Accord in 1985. In 1987, Takeshita became head of the Liberal Democratic Party and succeeded Yasuhiro Nakasone as prime minister. He inherited the powerful LDP faction of Kakuei Tanaka, and was dubbed the "last shadow shogun" for his behind-the-scenes influence in politics. Takeshita was forced to resign in 1989 after being implicated in the Recruit scandal, but continued to lead the largest LDP faction until his death in 2000. He was the last prime minister to serve during the rule of Emperor Shōwa.
Kim Chung-yum (Korean: 김정렴; Hanja: 金正濂; 3 January 1924 – 25 April 2020) was a South Korean politician. Under President…
Kim Chung-yum (Korean: 김정렴; Hanja: 金正濂; 3 January 1924 – 25 April 2020) was a South Korean politician. Under President Park Chung Hee, he was the longest serving chief presidential secretary in South Korean history. He also served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Commerce and Industry, playing a leading role in the country's miraculous economic development. Kim died on April 25, 2020.
Michio Watanabe (渡辺 美智雄, Watanabe Michio; 28 July 1923 – 15 September 1995) was a Japanese political figure. He was…
Michio Watanabe (渡辺 美智雄, Watanabe Michio; 28 July 1923 – 15 September 1995) was a Japanese political figure. He was born in Ōtawara, Tochigi and graduated from the Tokyo College of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University) in 1942. He worked as a reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, a certified tax accountant, and a member of Tochigi prefectural assembly before serving as a member of House of Representatives of Japan.
Hideo Den (田 英夫 Den Hideo, June 9, 1923 - November 13, 2009) was a Japanese news presenter, politician, and for 34 of…
Hideo Den (田 英夫 Den Hideo, June 9, 1923 - November 13, 2009) was a Japanese news presenter, politician, and for 34 of the years between 1971 and 2007, a member of the House of Councillors for the Social Democratic Party. From 1978 to 1985, he was also the president of the Socialist Democratic Federation. In 1947 he joined the Kyodo News company as a reporter. In 1962 he became a news presenter for TBS 's television news program. He was the grandson of Den Kenjiro.
Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who…
Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who, as the Army Chief of Staff, played a decisive role in the May 16 coup and was the first chairman of the interim Supreme Council for National Reconstruction for a short time until his imprisonment.
Kim Chunsu (Korean: 김춘수; Hanja: 金春洙; November 25, 1922 – November 29, 2004) was one of the leading South Korean poets…
Kim Chunsu (Korean: 김춘수; Hanja: 金春洙; November 25, 1922 – November 29, 2004) was one of the leading South Korean poets of the late twentieth century. He won numerous literary awards and was a professor of Korean Literature. His works have been translated into English, German and Spanish.
Park Tong-jin (Korean: 박동진; 1922– 11 November 2013) was a South Korean politician. Much of his efforts involved…
Park Tong-jin (Korean: 박동진; 1922– 11 November 2013) was a South Korean politician. Much of his efforts involved building trade routes between the Soviet Union and non-Soviet countries through South Korea. From 19 December 1975 to 2 September 1980, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1988 to 1991, he served as South Korean Ambassador to the United States. He also served as Minister of Unification.
Sōsuke Uno (宇野 宗佑, Uno Sōsuke; 27 August 1922 – 19 May 1998) was a former Japanese politician who served as prime…
Sōsuke Uno (宇野 宗佑, Uno Sōsuke; 27 August 1922 – 19 May 1998) was a former Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan in 1989. Born in Shiga Prefecture, Uno enrolled in the Kobe College of Commerce before he was conscripted into the army during the Second World War. In 1960, he entered politics and was elected to the National Diet, becoming a leading Liberal Democratic Party member and a key ally of Yasuhiro Nakasone. Uno served as director of the Defense Agency under Kakuei Tanaka, as director of the Science and Technology Agency under Takeo Fukuda, and as director of the Administrative Management Agency under Masayoshi Ōhira. He was briefly international trade and industry minister in 1983, and foreign minister in 1987–1989. In 1989, Uno became prime minister but served for only two months before he resigned after a poor showing in that year's upper house election, influenced by the lingering Recruit scandal and public financial scandal with an outspoken Geisha mistress.
Fumio Abe (阿部 文男, Abe Fumio; 23 June 1922 – 6 December 2006) was a politician in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)…
Fumio Abe (阿部 文男, Abe Fumio; 23 June 1922 – 6 December 2006) was a politician in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who served as state minister for Hokkaido and Okinawa development agencies. Abe was not related to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose surname is pronounced identically but written using different characters (安倍).
Makoto Tanabe (田邊 誠; 25 February 1922 – 2 July 2015) was the chairman of the former Japan Socialist Party, now known as…
Makoto Tanabe (田邊 誠; 25 February 1922 – 2 July 2015) was the chairman of the former Japan Socialist Party, now known as the Social Democratic Party of Japan. He was elected to the position in 1991. Tanabe was from the right wing of the party and was a reformer. He served in the Japanese House of Representatives 11 times. Tanabe was a supporter of giving Japanese aide to deal with the lack of food in North Korea. He was also supportive of apologizing for Japan's behaviour during World War II and of giving reparations to those in Asian countries. He died on 2 July 2015, at the age of 93.
Hitoshi Motoshima (本島 等, Motoshima Hitoshi; 20 February 1922 – 31 October 2014) was a Japanese politician. He served…
Hitoshi Motoshima (本島 等, Motoshima Hitoshi; 20 February 1922 – 31 October 2014) was a Japanese politician. He served four terms as mayor of Nagasaki from 1979 to 1995. He publicly made controversial statements about the responsibility of Japan and its then-reigning Emperor for World War II, and survived a retaliatory assassination attempt in 1990 by a right wing fanatic. His mayoral successor, Iccho Itoh, was killed in an unrelated assassination in 2007.
Masaaki Fujita (藤田 正明, Fujita Masaaki; January 3, 1922 – May 27, 1996) was a Japanese politician who served as a member…
Masaaki Fujita (藤田 正明, Fujita Masaaki; January 3, 1922 – May 27, 1996) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors. Fujita was born and brought up in Hiroshima City and he graduated from Waseda University in 1944. During his 30-year political career, he served in some important posts such as the Director General of Okinawa Development Agency (1976-1977) and the President of the House of Councillors (1986-1988). He received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 1992.
Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the…
Junji Nishime (西銘 順治, Nishime Junji; 5 November 1921 – 10 November 2001) was a Japanese politician who served as the 4th Governor of Okinawa from 1978 until 1990 and mayor of Naha, the capital of Okinawa. He studied and graduated at the University of Tokyo. His son is Kosaburo Nishime a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet.
Masajuro Shiokawa (塩川 正十郎, Shiokawa Masajūrō; 13 October 1921 – 19 September 2015) was a Japanese economist and…
Masajuro Shiokawa (塩川 正十郎, Shiokawa Masajūrō; 13 October 1921 – 19 September 2015) was a Japanese economist and politician.
Hiromu Murakami (Japanese: 村上 弘, Murakami Hiromu; 24 September 1921 – 22 March 2007) was a Japanese politician who…
Hiromu Murakami (Japanese: 村上 弘, Murakami Hiromu; 24 September 1921 – 22 March 2007) was a Japanese politician who served as the third chairman of the Japanese Communist Party from 1987 until 1989.
Hiroshi Miyazawa (宮澤 弘, Miyazawa Hiroshi; 22 September 1921 – 26 May 2012) was a Japanese politician who served as the…
Hiroshi Miyazawa (宮澤 弘, Miyazawa Hiroshi; 22 September 1921 – 26 May 2012) was a Japanese politician who served as the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1973 to 1981 and the Minister of Justice from 1995 to 1996.
Hirofumi Daimatsu (大松 博文, Daimatsu Hirofumi; 12 February 1921 – 24 November 1978) was a Japanese volleyball coach and a…
Hirofumi Daimatsu (大松 博文, Daimatsu Hirofumi; 12 February 1921 – 24 November 1978) was a Japanese volleyball coach and a Japanese politician. He led Oriental Witches, nickname of "Nichibo Kaizuka", a factory volleyball team of Dai Nippon Spinning Co., Ltd. (later, Nichibo, thereafter, Unitika) in Kaizuka, Osaka given by the reports of European media when they achieved 24 consecutive victories against other national teams on the expedition to Europe, to world champion.
Shin Hyun-hwak (Korean: 신현확; Hanja: 申鉉碻; 29 October 1920 – 26 April 2007) was a South Korean politician who served as…
Shin Hyun-hwak (Korean: 신현확; Hanja: 申鉉碻; 29 October 1920 – 26 April 2007) was a South Korean politician who served as the prime minister of South Korea from 1979 to 1980. He was a member of the Democratic Republican Party.
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant…
Chang Sung-hwan (Korean: 장성환; Hanja: 張盛煥; October 27, 1920 – January 4, 2015) was a South Korean air force lieutenant general, government minister and diplomat.
Liang Su-yung (Chinese: 梁肅戎; pinyin: Liáng Sùróng; 8 August 1920 – 27 August 2004) was a Chinese lawyer, intelligence…
Liang Su-yung (Chinese: 梁肅戎; pinyin: Liáng Sùróng; 8 August 1920 – 27 August 2004) was a Chinese lawyer, intelligence and politician with CC Clique membership who served in the first Legislative Yuan from 1948 to 1991. He was elevated to vice president of the parliament in 1988, and retired in 1991 as its leader. Prior to his political career, he worked as a human rights lawyer. Liang was a member of CC Clique, he was also regarded as the last leader of the CC Clique.
Shinnen Tagaya (多賀谷 真稔, Tagaya Shinnen; 20 January 1920 – 9 April 1995) was a Japanese politician. He graduated from…
Shinnen Tagaya (多賀谷 真稔, Tagaya Shinnen; 20 January 1920 – 9 April 1995) was a Japanese politician. He graduated from Waseda University in 1943 and became general secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Japan Socialist Party in December 1977.
Kiichi Miyazawa (宮澤 喜一, Miyazawa Kiichi; 8 October 1919 – 28 June 2007) was a Japanese politician who served as prime…
Kiichi Miyazawa (宮澤 喜一, Miyazawa Kiichi; 8 October 1919 – 28 June 2007) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1991 to 1993. Born in Tokyo, Miyazawa graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a law degree, and in 1942 joined the Ministry of Finance. He was first elected to the National Diet in 1953 and held a number of prominent posts, including international trade and industry minister under Eisaku Sato, foreign minister under Takeo Miki, director of the Economic Planning Agency under Takeo Fukuda, chief cabinet secretary under Yasuhiro Nakasone, and finance minister under Noboru Takeshita. Miyazawa became prime minister in 1991, but was forced to resign after the 1993 election after a failure to pass political reforms caused his Liberal Democratic Party to face its first defeat in a national election since its formation in 1955. Miyazawa later returned as finance minister from 1999 to 2001 in the cabinets of Keizō Obuchi and Yoshirō Mori.
Tokuo Yamashita (山下 徳夫, Yamashita Tokuo; 7 October 1919 – 1 January 2014) was a Japanese politician.
Usaburō Chisaki III (Japanese: 地崎宇三郎 (三代); 1919–1987) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of…
Usaburō Chisaki III (Japanese: 地崎宇三郎 (三代); 1919–1987) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives of Japan from Hokkaido. He was the son of Usaburō Chisaki II.
Kaneyasu Marutani (丸谷金保, Marutani Kaneyasu; 25 June 1919 – 3 June 2014) was a Japanese journalist and politician from…
Kaneyasu Marutani (丸谷金保, Marutani Kaneyasu; 25 June 1919 – 3 June 2014) was a Japanese journalist and politician from the Social Democratic Party. He served as member of the House of Councillors from 1977 to 1989. He also served as Mayor of Ikeda, Hokkaido from 1957 to 1976. During his tenure as mayor, he was instrumental in forming a sister city relationship with the City of Penticton in British Columbia Canada. This relationship is still active in 2017 and a delegation from Penticton recently travelled to Ikeda Japan to celebrate the fortieth anniversary.
Enju Kato (Japanese: 加藤 円住 Kato Enju; 10 June 1919 – 9 December 2021) was a Japanese bhikkhu and politician. An…
Enju Kato (Japanese: 加藤 円住 Kato Enju; 10 June 1919 – 9 December 2021) was a Japanese bhikkhu and politician. An Independent, he served on the Okazaki City Council from 1967 to 1984.
Kenichi Hirosawa (広沢 賢一, Hirosawa Kenichi; 15 March 1919 – 15 February 2003) was a Japanese politician and political…
Kenichi Hirosawa (広沢 賢一, Hirosawa Kenichi; 15 March 1919 – 15 February 2003) was a Japanese politician and political activist. He was a member of the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) and served one term in the House of Representatives.
Haruo Wada (Japanese: 和田春生; 15 March 1919 – 17 October 1999) was a Japanese trade unionist and politician. Wada joined…
Haruo Wada (Japanese: 和田春生; 15 March 1919 – 17 October 1999) was a Japanese trade unionist and politician. Wada joined the Japanese Merchant Navy in 1939. He was a founding member of the All-Japan Seamen's Union in 1945. Starting in 1948, he worked full-time for the union as an organizer. In 1950, he was a founding member of the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan, and worked for it as a permanent secretary. He was opposed to its increasingly left-wing stance. In 1954, he helped found the All-Japan Trade Union Congress (Zenro) split, and was appointed as its general secretary. In 1964, Zenro became part of the Japanese Confederation of Labour, and he became its vice president. In 1965, he additionally served as president of the ICFTU Asia and Pacific Regional Organisation, and served until his resignation in 1968. Wada was a member of the Democratic Socialist Party, and in 1969 he was elected to the House of Representatives, serving until 1972. From 1974 until 1979, he served in the House of Councillors.
Ken Harada (原田 憲, Harada Ken; 12 February 1919 – 29 January 1997) was a member of the Diet of Japan from the Liberal…
Ken Harada (原田 憲, Harada Ken; 12 February 1919 – 29 January 1997) was a member of the Diet of Japan from the Liberal Democratic Party until resigning his office on 24 January 1989 following alleged involvement in the Recruit scandal, where Harada admitted Recruit had given him donations, in the form of seasonal summer gifts, for ten years. While the donations were not illegal, they raised questions of political ethics which eventually led Harada to resign. As a member of the Diet, Harada served as Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency, and earned the close trust of Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita. He was the third minister to resign over the scandal. Harada had been appointed to direct the Economic Planning Agency only one month before his resignation. After party officials had already placed him as the chair of a committee in charge of investigating the Recruit stock scandal, where he had concluded that nothing illegal had taken place. In 1992, Harada backed Keizō Obuchi as new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. Kōichirō Aino replaced Harada as Minister of Economic Planning.
Tenkōkō Sonoda (園田 天光光, Sonoda Tenkōkō; 23 January 1919 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese politician who was a member…
Tenkōkō Sonoda (園田 天光光, Sonoda Tenkōkō; 23 January 1919 – 29 January 2015) was a Japanese politician who was a member of the Japanese Diet from 1946–1952. In 1950, she became the first woman in Japanese political history to have a baby while in office.
Iichirō Hatoyama (鳩山 威一郎, Hatoyama Iichirō; November 11, 1918 – December 19, 1993) was a Japanese politician and…
Iichirō Hatoyama (鳩山 威一郎, Hatoyama Iichirō; November 11, 1918 – December 19, 1993) was a Japanese politician and diplomat. Between 1976 and 1977, he served as Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda. He was the son and father of two former Prime Ministers, Ichirō and Yukio respectively.
Tadashi Kuranari (Japanese: 倉成 正, Hepburn: Kuranari Tadashi; 31 August 1918 – 3 July 1996) was a Japanese politician…
Tadashi Kuranari (Japanese: 倉成 正, Hepburn: Kuranari Tadashi; 31 August 1918 – 3 July 1996) was a Japanese politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1987. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he was a close confidant of Yasuhiro Nakasone, who appointed him Foreign Minister after his 1986 re-election. Kuranari had concentrated on agricultural issues and was director of the Economic Planning Agency, a Cabinet post, in the 1970s. In 1987 he visited Sri Lanka, Fiji and other countries.
Noboru Kousaka (上坂 昇, Kōsaka Noboru; 6 July 1918 – 2 July 2013) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House…
Noboru Kousaka (上坂 昇, Kōsaka Noboru; 6 July 1918 – 2 July 2013) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Japan Socialist Party from 1973 until his retirement in 1991.
Seiichi Tagawa (田川 誠一, Tagawa Seiichi; 4 June 1918 – 7 August 2009) was a Japanese politician who co-founded the now…
Seiichi Tagawa (田川 誠一, Tagawa Seiichi; 4 June 1918 – 7 August 2009) was a Japanese politician who co-founded the now defunct New Liberal Club in 1976, and served as its president from 1979 until 1984. Tagawa graduated from Keio University with a B.L. in December 1941. After that, he worked in the Imperial Japanese Army and The Asahi Shimbun Company. Tagawa was first elected to the House of Representatives of Japan in 1960. He would ultimately be re-elected to the House in eleven elections. Tagawa and a group of other lawmakers, including Yōhei Kōno, broke away from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1976. Tagawa, Yohei and the others founded the New Liberal Club political party on 25 June 1976. The New Liberal Club formed a coalition government with the LDP in December 1983. Tagawa became the Minister of Home Affairs within the government of Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone as part of the coalition agreement. The New Liberal Club was disbanded in 1986 and rejoined the LDP on 15 August 1986. Following the disbanding of the New Liberal Club, Tagawa went on to found a second political party, the short-lived and now defunct Progressive Party. Tagawa spent the rest of his career campaigning against political corruption. He retired from politics in 1993. Seiichi Tagawa died from complications of old age at a nursing home in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on 7 August 2009, at the age of 91. Tagawa's cousin, Yōhei Kōno, served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan until the House was dissolved in July 2009 in preparation for the 2009 general election.
Yasuhiro Nakasone (中曽根 康弘, Nakasone Yasuhiro; 27 May 1918 – 29 November 2019) was a Japanese politician who served as…
Yasuhiro Nakasone (中曽根 康弘, Nakasone Yasuhiro; 27 May 1918 – 29 November 2019) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1982 to 1987. His political term was best known for pushing through the privatization of state-owned companies, pursuing a hawkish and pro-United States foreign policy and his rejection of Keynesianism and his support of neoliberalism. Born in Gunma Prefecture, Nakasone graduated from Tokyo Imperial University and served in the imperial navy during the Pacific War. After the war, he entered the National Diet in 1947 and rose through the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party, serving as chief of the Defense Agency from 1970 to 1971 under Eisaku Satō, international trade and industry minister from 1972 to 1974 under Kakuei Tanaka, and administration minister from 1980 to 1982 under Zenkō Suzuki. As prime minister, he passed large defense budgets and controversially visited the Yasukuni Shrine. A conservative contemporary of U.S. president Ronald Reagan, Nakasone privatized the Japanese National Railways and telephone systems, and favored closer ties with the U.S., once calling Japan an "unsinkable aircraft carrier". After leaving office in 1987, he was implicated in the Recruit scandal, causing the influence of his LDP faction to wane before he retired from the Diet in 2003.
Kakuei Tanaka (田中 角栄, Tanaka Kakuei; IPA: [ta̠na̠ka̠ ka̠kɯ̟e̞ː]; 4 May 1918 – 16 December 1993) was a Japanese…
Kakuei Tanaka (田中 角栄, Tanaka Kakuei; IPA: [ta̠na̠ka̠ ka̠kɯ̟e̞ː]; 4 May 1918 – 16 December 1993) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who did not finish high school or graduate from a university. Born in Niigata Prefecture to a poor farmer, Tanaka left school at age 14. He later received an engineering education and founded his own construction company in 1936. In 1940, he was drafted into the army and served in Manchuria until 1941; during the Pacific War, he made a fortune from government contracts. After the war, Tanaka was first elected to the National Diet in 1947. He joined the Liberal Democratic Party on its foundation in 1955, and held a series of cabinet positions, including posts as telecommunications minister from 1957 to 1958, finance minister from 1962 to 1965, and international trade and industry minister from 1971 to 1972. He built up a large faction in the party by political maneuvering and extensive use of money. After a power struggle with Takeo Fukuda, Tanaka succeeded Eisaku Satō as prime minister in 1972. Domestically, he pursued his "Plan to Remodel the Japanese Archipelago", an infrastructure development program, before it was shelved due to inflation and the 1973 oil crisis. In 1972, Tanaka established relations with the People's Republic of China. Although he had entered office with a very high popularity rating, this declined quickly amid allegations of corruption before his resignation in 1974. In 1976, Tanaka was arrested and charged with taking ¥500 million in bribes in the Lockheed scandal, and in 1983 was sentenced to four years in prison. However, Tanaka remained free on appeal to the Supreme Court until his death in 1993. Throughout his legal problems, he maintained influence through his faction, the largest faction in the LDP, and continued to serve as kingmaker for subsequent premiers, which earned him the nickname "Shadow Shogun" among others. A debilitating stroke he suffered in 1985 led to the collapse of his political faction, with most members regrouping under the leadership of Noboru Takeshita in 1987.
Bungo Tsuda (津田 文吾, Tsuda Bungo; 24 April 1918 – 8 November 2007) was a Japanese politician. He served as governor of…
Bungo Tsuda (津田 文吾, Tsuda Bungo; 24 April 1918 – 8 November 2007) was a Japanese politician. He served as governor of Kanagawa Prefecture from 23 April 1967 until 22 April 1975. Tsuda was born in Kosugi, Toyama and died at the age of 89 of colorectal cancer in Yokohama.
Izuo Nagano (永野 嚴雄, Nagano Izuo; March 20, 1918 – October 8, 1981) was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1962…
Izuo Nagano (永野 嚴雄, Nagano Izuo; March 20, 1918 – October 8, 1981) was the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from 1962 to 1973. In 1974 was elected as a member of the upper house of the Japanese parliament.
Kichirō Tazawa (田沢 吉郎, Tazawa Kichirō; 1918 – 12 December 2001) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet…
Kichirō Tazawa (田沢 吉郎, Tazawa Kichirō; 1918 – 12 December 2001) was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet posts and served as defense minister from 1988 to 1989.
Shizue Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口シヅエ; 31 October 1917 – 3 April 2012) was a Japanese physician and politician. She was one…
Shizue Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口シヅエ; 31 October 1917 – 3 April 2012) was a Japanese physician and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Yōichi Nakanishi (Japanese: 中西陽一, Hepburn: Nakanishi Yōichi; 23 September 1917 – 2 February 1994) was a Japanese…
Yōichi Nakanishi (Japanese: 中西陽一, Hepburn: Nakanishi Yōichi; 23 September 1917 – 2 February 1994) was a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture from 1963 until his death in 1994. He holds the records for the most terms served and longest-serving governor in Japan. He was a graduate of Kyoto University and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Prior to being elected as a governor, he was a member of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War.
Kakuzo Kawamoto (河本 嘉久蔵, kawamoto Kakuzo; 27 March 1917 – 24 March 1990) was a Japanese business executive and…
Kakuzo Kawamoto (河本 嘉久蔵, kawamoto Kakuzo; 27 March 1917 – 24 March 1990) was a Japanese business executive and politician.