Tatsuya Tanimoto (谷本 龍哉, Tanimoto Tatsuya; born 26 October 1966) is a former Japanese member of the House of…Tatsuya Tanimoto (谷本 龍哉, Tanimoto Tatsuya; born 26 October 1966) is a former Japanese member of the House of Representatives of the Diet. He served as a representative of Wakayama 1st district, first as an independent politician, but after 2003 as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Wakayama City and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he was elected for the first time in 2000 after working as a bartender and an aide to Representative Toshihiro Nikai, and serving in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly.
Kazufumi Taniguchi (谷口 和史, Taniguchi Kazufumi; born 14 April 1962) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of…Kazufumi Taniguchi (谷口 和史, Taniguchi Kazufumi; born 14 April 1962) is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Wakayama Prefecture and graduate of Soka University he was elected for the first time in 2005.
Takeshi Miyamoto (宮本 岳志, Miyamoto Takeshi) is a member of the Japanese Communist Party who served in the House of…Takeshi Miyamoto (宮本 岳志, Miyamoto Takeshi) is a member of the Japanese Communist Party who served in the House of Representatives. He is opposed to the policy that increases competitive research funds while cutting grants to post-secondary educational institutions, saying that the policy has forced some institutions to hire retired government officials.
Izumi Miyazaki (宮﨑泉, Miyazaki Izumi; born 21 February 1959) is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of…Izumi Miyazaki (宮﨑泉, Miyazaki Izumi; born 21 February 1959) is a Japanese politician who has served as governor of Wakayama Prefecture since June 2025. He previously served as superintendent of the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education and as vice governor of Wakayama Prefecture.
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.
Yasuhiro Oe (大江 康弘, Ōe Yasuhiro; born December 4, 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a…Yasuhiro Oe (大江 康弘, Ōe Yasuhiro; born December 4, 1950) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
Heizō Takenaka (竹中 平蔵, Takenaka Heizō; born 3 March 1951) is a Japanese economist, and key figure in Junichiro…Heizō Takenaka (竹中 平蔵, Takenaka Heizō; born 3 March 1951) is a Japanese economist, and key figure in Junichiro Koizumi's administration (2001–2006), played a significant role in Japan's structural reforms, including labor market deregulation. As Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy and later Financial Services, he advocated for policies aimed at increasing economic flexibility, such as amending the Worker Dispatching Act (also known as the Temporary Staffing Services Act). These changes, enacted in 2003 and 2004, expanded the use of temporary (dispatched) workers by relaxing restrictions. Takenaka's reforms indirectly facilitated the replacement of regular government employees with temporary staff in public sectors, such as education, administrative services, and local government offices. Takenaka's affiliation with Pasona Group, Japan's largest temporary staffing agency, has sparked allegations of embezzlement from government and private sectors, stemming from claims that he replaced permanent employees with Pasona's temporary workers. He joined Pasona as a special advisor in February 2007 (shortly after leaving government) and became chairman in August 2009, serving until 2022. Takenaka benefited from the expanded dispatch market post-deregulation, securing government and private contracts in areas like administrative support, COVID-19 measures, and the Tokyo Olympics—leading to personal profits. Takenaka serves on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
Hirofumi Hirano (平野 博文, Hirano Hirofumi; born 19 March 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic…Hirofumi Hirano (平野 博文, Hirano Hirofumi; born 19 March 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He is a native of Katsuragi, Wakayama and he started working for Panasonic Corporation in 1971 after graduating from Chuo University. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 as an independent. He was the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yukio Hatoyama administration. He represented the 11th District of Osaka Prefecture from 1996 until 2012, and again from 2014 to 2021.
Hiroyoshi Nishi (西 博義, Nishi Hiroyoshi; born 3 October 1948) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a…Hiroyoshi Nishi (西 博義, Nishi Hiroyoshi; born 3 October 1948) is a Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Arida District, Wakayama he attended University of Tokushima as both an undergraduate and graduate student and taught at a school in Wakayama from 1973 to 1992. In 1993, he was elected for the first time.
Tomoka Nakagawa (中川 智子, Nakagawa Tomoko) (born 28 September 1947 in Nachikatsuura) is a Japanese politician…Tomoka Nakagawa (中川 智子, Nakagawa Tomoko) (born 28 September 1947 in Nachikatsuura) is a Japanese politician, representing the Japanese Social Democratic Party, in the House of Representatives of Japan, before becoming mayor of Takarazuka, the first woman to hold this position and the third woman to become mayor of Takarazuka.Hyōgo Prefecture.
Masahiro Tabata (田端 正広, Tabata Masahiro; 4 January 1940 – 5 January 2025) was a Japanese politician who served in the…Masahiro Tabata (田端 正広, Tabata Masahiro; 4 January 1940 – 5 January 2025) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the New Komeito Party. A native of Wakayama, Wakayama and graduate of Doshisha University, he was elected for the first time in 1993 after working as a journalist. Tabata died from pneumonia on 5 January 2025, at the age of 85.
Seiichirō Furuta (古田 誠一郎, Furuta Seiichirō; 27 June 1897 – 3 December 1992) was a Japanese social reformer, educator…Seiichirō Furuta (古田 誠一郎, Furuta Seiichirō; 27 June 1897 – 3 December 1992) was a Japanese social reformer, educator, radio and TV personality, and politician from Wakayama city, Wakayama Prefecture. One of the leaders of the Boy Scouts' early days in Japan and the first to be elected mayor of Takatsuki, Osaka, he served as the director of the Scout Association of Japan, as well as executive director of the Japan Camping Federation.
Ken Terajima (寺島健, Terajima Ken; 23 September 1882 – 30 October 1972) was a Japanese Vice Admiral and politician. He…Ken Terajima (寺島健, Terajima Ken; 23 September 1882 – 30 October 1972) was a Japanese Vice Admiral and politician. He served as the Minister of Communications from 18 October 1941 to 8 October 1943, and Minister of Railways from 18 October 1941 to 2 December 1941, in the Tōjō Cabinet.
Kichisaburō Nomura (野村 吉三郎, Nomura Kichisaburō; December 16, 1877 – May 8, 1964) was an admiral in the Imperial…Kichisaburō Nomura (野村 吉三郎, Nomura Kichisaburō; December 16, 1877 – May 8, 1964) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and was the ambassador to the United States at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Hiroshi Shimomura (Japanese: 下村宏; 11 May 1875 – 9 December 1957) was a Japanese official who served as minister of…Hiroshi Shimomura (Japanese: 下村宏; 11 May 1875 – 9 December 1957) was a Japanese official who served as minister of state and director general of the Cabinet Intelligence Bureau in 1945, at the end of World War II. In that capacity, he was involved in realising the Emperor's surrender broadcast. He was the fourth president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (1937–1942), and a graduate of Tokyo Imperial University.
Okazaki Kunisuke (岡崎邦輔; 12 April 1854 – 22 July 1936) was a politician and cabinet minister in the late Meiji and…Okazaki Kunisuke (岡崎邦輔; 12 April 1854 – 22 July 1936) was a politician and cabinet minister in the late Meiji and Taishō period Empire of Japan.
Daichi Yamamoto (山本大地, Yamamoto Daichi; born 28 May 1991) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…Daichi Yamamoto (山本大地, Yamamoto Daichi; born 28 May 1991) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2024. From 2022 to 2024, he was a city councillor of Wakayama.
Masatoshi Ishida (石田 真敏, Ishida Masatoshi; born 11 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party…Masatoshi Ishida (石田 真敏, Ishida Masatoshi; born 11 April 1952) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He served as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from 2 October 2018 to 11 September 2019. A native of Kainan, Wakayama and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the first of his three terms in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly in 1983 and then to the first of his two terms as mayor of Kainan in 1994. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2002.
