PROFILPELAJAR.COM

Yoshitaka Shindō
Yoshitaka Shindō
新藤義孝
	Official portrait, 2023
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
	In office; 13 September 2023 – 1 October 2024
Prime Minister	Fumio Kishida
Preceded by	Shigeyuki Goto
Succeeded by	Ryosei Akazawa
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
	In office; 26 December 2012 – 3 September 2014
Prime Minister	Shinzo Abe
Preceded by	Shinji Tarutoko
Succeeded by	Sanae Takaichi
Member of the House of Representatives
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 11 September 2005
Preceded by	Katsuyuki Ishida
Constituency	Saitama 2nd (2005–2009; 2012–present); Northern Kanto PR (2009–2012)
	In office; 25 October 1996 – 10 October 2003
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Katsuyuki Ishida
Constituency	Northern Kanto PR (1996–2000); Saitama 2nd (2000–2003)
Member of the Kawaguchi City Council
	In office; 1991–1996
Personal details
Born	20 January 1958 (age 67); Kawaguchi, Japan
Political party	Liberal Democratic
Relations	Tadamichi Kuribayashi (grandfather)
Alma mater	Meiji University
Website	Website

Yoshitaka Shindō (新藤義孝, Shindō Yoshitaka, born 20 January 1958) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) for Saitama Prefecture 2nd District.

Affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi,^[1]^[2] Shindo is known for his committed stance on territorial disputes with neighboring countries of Japan,^[3] and his recurring visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.^[4]

Early life and education

A native of Kawaguchi, Saitama, Shindo was born on 20 January 1958.^[5] His mother, Takako Shindō, was a daughter of Tadamichi Kuribayashi, a general of the Imperial Japanese Army best known for having been the commander of the Japanese garrison at the Battle of Iwo Jima.^[6] He studied literature at Meiji University and graduated in 1981.^[6]

Career

Shindo had worked in the city government of Kawaguchi since 1980 and had served in the assembly of Kawaguchi since 1991. He joined the Liberal Democratic Party and part of the Nukaga faction.^[7] He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996. In 2002, he was appointed parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs.^[8]

He lost his seat in 2003 but was re-elected in 2005 from the Saitama Prefecture District 2.^[5] Shindo was named as the vice minister of trade in 2006.^[6] In the general elections on 16 December 2012, he was again elected from the Saitama Prefecture District 2.^[5] He was appointed minister of internal affairs and communications in the cabinet of Shinzō Abe on 26 December 2012.^[9]

Shindo, while serving as the executive acting chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council, pressed for a 15 trillion-yen stimulus package to counter the effects of inflation on Japanese households. He was a vocal opponent of calls to end the Bank of Japan's easy money policies, saying that "No country uses monetary policy to manipulate currency rates".^[10]

Shindo was given 6 ministerial positions in the Second Kishida Cabinet (Second Reshuffle), the most important being Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization. Since entering the cabinet, Shindo has stressed the need for domestic wage growth to drive consumption in order to end Japan's deflationary woes.^[11]

A top secretary for the late Motegi Faction, Shindo has been caught-up in the 2023-2024 Japanese slush fund scandal, having told reporters that "We've decided to continue discussions while sharing the idea of dissolving the faction and breaking away from money and personnel affairs".^[12] Renhō Saitō of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan accused Shindo of personally engaging in the same practices as the greater Motegi Faction, calling it "the Motegi Faction method."^[13]

Shindo is head of a kindergarten in his hometown.^[7]

Election history

Election	Age	District	Political party	Number of votes	election results
1996 Japanese general election	38	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	75,642	elected by PR
2000 Japanese general election	42	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	82,581	winning
2003 Japanese general election	45	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	91,095	lost
2005 Japanese general election	47	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	138,376	winning
2009 Japanese general election	51	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	112,920	elected by PR
2012 Japanese general election	54	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	112,484	winning
2014 Japanese general election	56	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	128,938	winning
2017 Japanese general election	59	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	110,072	winning
2021 Japanese general election	63	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	121,543	winning
2024 Japanese general election	66	Saitama 2nd district	LDP	72,467	winning
^[14]^[15]^[16]

References

^ Nippon Kaigi website
^ "Nationalist ‘Japan Conference’ building its clout" - Korea JoongAng Daily - 3 May 2013
^ "Profile". Tokyo. Kyodo News. 26 December 2012. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ "Japanese Minister Yoshitaka Shindo visits Yasukuni Shrine provoking China's ire". South China Morning Post. 1 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Shindo, Yoshitaka". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Cabinet Profiles". The Japan Times. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Profile of Abe cabinet". Daily Yomiuri Online. 27 December 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ "Profile of Mr. Shindo, Yoshitaka". MOFA. 9 October 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ "Abe elected premier, launches Cabinet". Daily Yomuiru Online. 26 December 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
^ "Japan's stimulus plan must exceed ¥15 tril, says ruling party executive". Yerepouni Daily News. 24 October 2022.
^ "As Japan Slips into Recession, Germany Becomes World's 3rd Biggest Economy". MENAFN – Business and Finance News (English). 15 February 2024.
^ "Japan LDP's Motegi Faction Agrees on Shift to Policy Group". Jiji Press Ticker Service. 31 January 2024.
^ "LDP's Motegi Faction Faces Fresh Allegations". Jiji Press Ticker Service. 7 March 2024.
^ "新藤義孝 | 第49回衆議院議員選挙 2021 埼玉2区". 政治山. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
^ "新藤義孝 | 選挙結果（衆議院） | 国会議員白書". kokkai.sugawarataku.net. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
^ "しんどう義孝（シンドウヨシタカ）｜政治家情報｜選挙ドットコム". 選挙ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 November 2024.

Political offices
Preceded by Shinji Tarutoko	Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications 2012–2014	Succeeded by Sanae Takaichi
Preceded by Shigeyuki Goto	Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy 2023-present	Incumbent