Masahiko Kōmura

Masahiko Kōmura
高村 正彦
Kōmura in 2008
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
26 September 2007 – 24 September 2008
Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda
Preceded byNobutaka Machimura
Succeeded byHirofumi Nakasone
In office
30 July 1998 – 5 October 1999
Prime MinisterKeizō Obuchi
Preceded byKeizō Obuchi
Succeeded byYōhei Kōno
Minister of Defense
In office
27 August 2007 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzō Abe
Preceded byYuriko Koike
Succeeded byShigeru Ishiba
Minister of Justice
In office
5 December 2000 – 26 April 2001
Prime MinisterYoshirō Mori
Preceded byOkiharu Yasuoka
Succeeded byHirofumi Nakasone
Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency
In office
30 June 1994 – 8 August 1995
Prime MinisterTomiichi Murayama
Preceded byYoshio Terazawa
Succeeded byIsamu Miyazaki
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
23 June 1980 – 28 September 2017
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byMasahiro Kōmura
ConstituencyYamaguchi 2nd (1980–1996)
Yamaguchi 1st (1996–2017)
Personal details
Born (1942-03-15) 15 March 1942 (age 82)
Shūnan, Yamaguchi, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
ChildrenMasahiro Kōmura
Alma materChuo University

Masahiko Kōmura (高村 正彦, Kōmura Masahiko, born 15 March 1942) is a Japanese political activist, full-time staff and former Vice-President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008, and he is a member of the House of Representatives for Yamaguchi 1st district. He is also the current Deputy President of his political party the Liberal Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Kōmura was born in Ehime Prefecture on 15 March 1942.[1] He graduated from Chuo University's faculty of law.[2]

Career

With members of the Yasuo Fukuda Cabinet in September 2007

After graduation, Kōmura passed Japan's bar exam and then immediately entered politics. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in the June 1980 election, and has been re-elected in each election since then. He became Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency (as a Minister of State) in June 1994, Minister for Foreign Affairs in July 1998, and Minister of Justice in December 2000. In August 2007, under Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, he became Minister of Defense.[3] Kōmura leads a small faction of the LDP named after himself and ran for LDP president in 2003, but was defeated by Junichirō Koizumi.[4]

Following Abe's resignation in September 2007, Kōmura became Minister for Foreign Affairs for a second time on 26 September 2007, in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.[5] He remained in that post until he was replaced by Hirofumi Nakasone in the Cabinet of Tarō Asō, appointed on 24 September 2008.[6] He is vice president of the LDP.[7]

Kōmura is also the President of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union. He is known to have strong ties within China's political circles.[4]

Bibliography

Books

Year Title ISBN Notes
2015 Senkyo ttena 'ndarou!? 18-Sai kara no Seiji-gaku Nyūmon ISBN 978-4-569-82785-8 Co-authored with Haruka Shimada

References

  1. ^ "LDP members". LDP. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Profiles for Key LDP Officials". LDP. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Profile of Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko KOUMURA", Foreign Ministry website.
  4. ^ a b Japan Times, "Fukuda's new linuep", 3 August 2008, P. 3.
  5. ^ "Fukuda Cabinet launched / Changes minimized to reduce impact on Diet business", The Yomiuri Shimbun, 26 September 2007.
  6. ^ "Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2", The Yomiuri Shimbun, 25 September 2005.
  7. ^ "LDP Vice Pres. Komura to retain post". House of Japan. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Defence
27 August – 26 September 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Justice
2000–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
1998–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Yoshio Terazawa
 Director of Economic Planning Agency of Japan
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
Isamu Miyazaki