Takashi Fujiwara (藤原崇, Fujiwara Takashi; born 2 August 1983) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party.…Takashi Fujiwara (藤原崇, Fujiwara Takashi; born 2 August 1983) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2012 to 2024, he was a member of the House of Representatives. From 2023 to 2024, he served as Director of the LDP's Youth Division.
Masanori Murakawa (村川 政徳, Murakawa Masanori; born July 18, 1969), best known under his ring name The Great Sasuke…Masanori Murakawa (村川 政徳, Murakawa Masanori; born July 18, 1969), best known under his ring name The Great Sasuke (ザ・グレート・サスケ, Za Gurēto Sasuke), is a Japanese professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter and politician. He is the founder of Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW). He currently wrestles in Japan and in the United States in various independent circuits. Aside from professional wrestling, he is also a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly legislator. He is said to have an incredible tolerance for pain, mainly in reference to the injuries he has had including a cracked skull on two occasions.
Takeshi Shina (階 猛, Shina Takeshi; born 7 October 1966) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the…Takeshi Shina (階 猛, Shina Takeshi; born 7 October 1966) is a Japanese politician who has served as a member of the House of Representatives since 2007. A 1991 graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected for the first time in 2007. Shina was born and grew up in Morioka, Iwate before attending the University of Tokyo. After he graduated, he became a banker at both the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan and the SBI Shinsei Bank. Shina first ran for office in a 2007 by-election following the resignation of his High School and University senior, Takuya Tasso, in Iwate's 1st district. He won in 2009 and was tapped to become a Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and served through the Kan Cabinet. Following his vote against the consumption tax raise launched by the Noda Cabinet, he was suspended by the DPJ for two months but declined to leave the party, and won in 2012 despite facing a candidate handpicked by Ichiro Ozawa to defeat him, and the strong national headwinds in favor of the LDP. Following the defeat, Shina was shuffled throughout various DPJ party positions, serving as a shadow minister in the NEXT Cabinets of varying leaders. He won in 2014 again and merged with the DP in merging with Kibō no Tō, holding onto his district in 2017. He joined the DPP before leaving the party following the Iwate's branch decision to endorse a candidate from Ichiro Ozawa's Liberal Party. He joined the CDP shortly thereafter and fought attempts by the Prefectural Branch controlled by Ozawa to replace him as the candidate in Iwate's 1st, winning in 2021. He was appointed the Shadow Minister of Finance in the Next Cabinet's of Kenta Izumi and Yoshihiko Noda until September 2025. He won his district in 2026 after joining the CRA, becoming one of the "seven samurai" to do so. He ran for party president in the 2026 CRA election, losing to Junya Ogawa by five votes. He was then appointed secretary-general of the CRA.
Megumi Hirose (広瀬 めぐみ, Hirose Megumi; born June 27, 1966) is a Japanese politician and lawyer who served in the House…Megumi Hirose (広瀬 めぐみ, Hirose Megumi; born June 27, 1966) is a Japanese politician and lawyer who served in the House of Councillors for Iwate Prefecture from 2022 to 2024. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She is the first LDP member to represent Iwate as a councilor since Motoo Shiina left the party in 1993.
Takuya Tasso (達増 拓也, Tasso Takuya; born 10 June 1964) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Iwate…Takuya Tasso (達増 拓也, Tasso Takuya; born 10 June 1964) is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Iwate Prefecture. He is a native of Morioka and graduate of the University of Tokyo.
Eiji Kidoguchi is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan, serving for the Iwate…Eiji Kidoguchi is a Japanese politician who is a member of the House of Councillors of Japan, serving for the Iwate at-large district as a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Kidoguchi was first elected in 2016, but lost the seat in 2022. Kidoguchi won the seat back in by-election in 2024 after the resignation of the incumbent, Megumi Hirose.
Tatsuo Hirano (平野 達男, Hirano Tatsuo; born May 2, 1954) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic…Tatsuo Hirano (平野 達男, Hirano Tatsuo; born May 2, 1954) is a retired Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, and was formerly a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was formerly a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Toru Kikawada (黄川田 徹, Kikawada Tōru; born 14 October 1953) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Toru Kikawada (黄川田 徹, Kikawada Tōru; born 14 October 1953) 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).
Yoshinobu Fujiwara (藤原 良信, Fujiwara Yoshinobu; born 1951) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of…Yoshinobu Fujiwara (藤原 良信, Fujiwara Yoshinobu; born 1951) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Ōfunato, Iwate and graduate of Nihon University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after serving in the Iwate Prefectural Assembly for five terms since 1987.
Ryo Shuhama (主浜 了, Shuhama Ryō; born 2 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member…Ryo Shuhama (主浜 了, Shuhama Ryō; born 2 April 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Keiji Kokuta (穀田 恵二, Kokuta Keiji; born 11 January 1947) is a Japanese politician and a former member of the House of…Keiji Kokuta (穀田 恵二, Kokuta Keiji; born 11 January 1947) is a Japanese politician and a former member of the House of Representatives for the Japanese Communist Party. He served 10 terms in the Japanese House of Representatives. He has served as a member of various committees, including the Budget Committee, the Committee on Local Administration, the Special Committee on Disaster Prevention, and the Special Committee on Ethical Elections. He is currently the Chairman of the Party's Diet Strategy Committee, Chairman of the Election Strategy Committee, a member of the Permanent Executive Committee, and the head of the Committee for the Promotion of Traditional Crafts.
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.
Tokuichiro Tamazawa (玉沢 徳一郎, Tamazawa Tokuichirō; born 16 December 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served in…Tokuichiro Tamazawa (玉沢 徳一郎, Tamazawa Tokuichirō; born 16 December 1937) is a former Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is a native of Tarō, Iwate and attended a graduate school at Waseda University. He was elected for the first time in 1976 as an independent after unsuccessful runs in 1969 and 1972. From 1994 to 1995 he was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. In May 2008 Tamazawa was awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon from President Chen Shui-bian as recognition for the work he has done to foster relations between Taiwan and Japan.
Hiroshi Kuwashima (Japanese: 桑島博 Kuwashima Hiroshi; 14 August 1932 – 16 December 2021) was a Japanese politician. He…Hiroshi Kuwashima (Japanese: 桑島博 Kuwashima Hiroshi; 14 August 1932 – 16 December 2021) was a Japanese politician. He served as mayor of Morioka from 1995 to 2003.
Zenkō Suzuki (鈴木 善幸, Suzuki Zenkō; 11 January 1911 – 19 July 2004) was a Japanese politician who served as prime…Zenkō Suzuki (鈴木 善幸, Suzuki Zenkō; 11 January 1911 – 19 July 2004) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1980 to 1982. Born in Iwate Prefecture, Suzuki graduated from the Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1935 and was elected to the Diet in 1947 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party, then shifted rightward and joined the Liberal Democratic Party. He briefly served as posts and telecommunications minister and cabinet secretary under Hayato Ikeda, as health and welfare minister under Eisaku Satō, and as agriculture, forests, and fisheries minister under Takeo Fukuda. After the sudden death of prime minister Masayoshi Ōhira in 1980, Suzuki assumed leadership of his faction, and he succeeded him as LDP president and prime minister until 1982.
Kōtoku Wamura (Japanese: 和村幸得, Hepburn: Wamura Kōtoku; 21 February 1909 – 18 October 1997) was a Japanese politician…Kōtoku Wamura (Japanese: 和村幸得, Hepburn: Wamura Kōtoku; 21 February 1909 – 18 October 1997) was a Japanese politician who was the mayor of Fudai in Iwate Prefecture from 1947 to 1987. He was credited with creating the floodgates that saved the village of Fudai, Iwate from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
En Sugawara (Japanese: 菅原エン; 27 February 1900 – 16 February 1994) was a Japanese suffragist and politician. She was one…En Sugawara (Japanese: 菅原エン; 27 February 1900 – 16 February 1994) was a Japanese suffragist and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Mitsumasa Yonai (米内 光政, Yonai Mitsumasa; 2 March 1880 – 20 April 1948) was a Japanese navy officer and politician. He…Mitsumasa Yonai (米内 光政, Yonai Mitsumasa; 2 March 1880 – 20 April 1948) was a Japanese navy officer and politician. He served as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Minister of the Navy, and Prime Minister of Japan in 1940.
Katsuji Debuchi (出淵 勝次; July 25, 1878 – August 19, 1947) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United…Katsuji Debuchi (出淵 勝次; July 25, 1878 – August 19, 1947) was a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States.
