Akihiko Kumashiro
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese politician and member of the Liberal Democratic Party
who served four terms in the House of Representatives of Japan
. He held the District 2 seat of Okayama Prefecture
. He was born in Okayama, and graduated from the University of Tokyo
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, earning a degree in political science
from both of them. After graduating, he became a government official in multiple offices, including the Ministry of Home Affairs
and the Ministry of Health and Welfare
. After being elected to the Diet of Japan
, he became an important figure in the movement for non-profit organization
s to gain legal person status and recognition in Japan. Though he at first opposed such measures, he ultimately proved one of its strongest advocates. When he did not support postal privatization
, Prime Minister of Japan
Junichiro Koizumi
labeled him a "rebel" member of the party, and fielded another party candidate against him. This caused him to drop out of the race, and instead run for Mayor of Okayama.
in 1963 with a bachelors in Political Science
. He received a Masters of Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1969. Before running for office, Kumashiro was the Director of the Japanese Association of Sports for the Disabled.
, eventually becoming vice minister and Liberal Democratic Party
police chief. Prior to serving in the Diet, Kumashiro was an official with the Ministry of Health and Welfare
, where he was secretary to the Minister of Health
. He then served as Deputy Director of Health and Welfare in charge of medical insurance, Deputy Ministry of Health Affairs, and Director of Health and Welfare assistance.
as a Liberal Democratic Party
member of the House of Representatives
, holding the District 2 seat of Okayama Prefecture
. He was first elected in July 1993, and was re-elected in October 1996, June 2000, and November 2003.
Beginning in 1995, he served as deputy chair and then chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's
special committee on non-profit organizations. Though he initially thought of non-profit organizations as anti-government, he came to believe that they were a force of good in Japan, and advocated for less government intervention in their affairs. He played an integral role in passing a law which gave non-profit organizations legal personality
. He also advocated allowing citizens to deduct charitable donations from their taxes.
He headed the LDP's financial reconstruction committee in 2002, which sought to fix downturns in the Japanese economy
. He was also the senior vice minister for the Cabinet Office
. He was a member of the Hashimoto faction
. When he failed to support postal privatization
, Prime Minister of Japan
Junichiro Koizumi
labeled him a "rebel" member of the party, and fielded Seiji Hagiwara
as the "official" party candidate, causing Kumashiro to drop out of the race. After dropping out, he ran for Mayor of Okayama, an office that Hagiwara had vacated to run for the Diet, but lost the race. In 2007, he ran for the House of Councillors
, but lost the election.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese politician and member of the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
who served four terms in the House of Representatives of Japan
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
. He held the District 2 seat of Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
. He was born in Okayama, and graduated from the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, earning a degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from both of them. After graduating, he became a government official in multiple offices, including the Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs (Japan)
was a ministry in the Japanese government that existed from July 1, 1960 to January 5, 2001 and is now part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The head of the ministry was a member of a cabinet....
and the Ministry of Health and Welfare
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
The ' is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō in Japan. This ministry provides regulations on maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in foods, basic food and drug regulations, standards for foods, food additives, etc.It was formed with...
. After being elected to the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
, he became an important figure in the movement for non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s to gain legal person status and recognition in Japan. Though he at first opposed such measures, he ultimately proved one of its strongest advocates. When he did not support postal privatization
Japan Post
was a government-owned corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation's largest employer. One third of all Japanese...
, Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
labeled him a "rebel" member of the party, and fielded another party candidate against him. This caused him to drop out of the race, and instead run for Mayor of Okayama.
Early life and education
Kumashiro was born in 1940 in Okayama. He was the second of eight children, and grew up working on his family farm. He attended the Okayama Sozan highschool. He graduated from the University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
in 1963 with a bachelors in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He received a Masters of Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1969. Before running for office, Kumashiro was the Director of the Japanese Association of Sports for the Disabled.
Political career
After graduating, he became an official in the Ministry of Home AffairsMinistry of Home Affairs (Japan)
was a ministry in the Japanese government that existed from July 1, 1960 to January 5, 2001 and is now part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The head of the ministry was a member of a cabinet....
, eventually becoming vice minister and Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
police chief. Prior to serving in the Diet, Kumashiro was an official with the Ministry of Health and Welfare
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
The ' is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō in Japan. This ministry provides regulations on maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in foods, basic food and drug regulations, standards for foods, food additives, etc.It was formed with...
, where he was secretary to the Minister of Health
Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
The , or , is the Cabinet of Japan member in charge of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. As of 2 September 2011, the current minister is Yoko Komiyama.-References:...
. He then served as Deputy Director of Health and Welfare in charge of medical insurance, Deputy Ministry of Health Affairs, and Director of Health and Welfare assistance.
Diet
Kumashiro served four terms in the Diet of JapanDiet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
as a Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
member of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
, holding the District 2 seat of Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
. He was first elected in July 1993, and was re-elected in October 1996, June 2000, and November 2003.
Beginning in 1995, he served as deputy chair and then chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
special committee on non-profit organizations. Though he initially thought of non-profit organizations as anti-government, he came to believe that they were a force of good in Japan, and advocated for less government intervention in their affairs. He played an integral role in passing a law which gave non-profit organizations legal personality
Legal personality
Legal personality is the characteristic of a non-human entity regarded by law to have the status of a person....
. He also advocated allowing citizens to deduct charitable donations from their taxes.
He headed the LDP's financial reconstruction committee in 2002, which sought to fix downturns in the Japanese economy
Economy of Japan
The economy of Japan, a free market economy, is the third largest in the world after the United States and the People's Republic of China, and ahead of Germany at 4th...
. He was also the senior vice minister for the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office (Japan)
is an agency in the Cabinet of Japan. It is responsible for handling the day to day affairs of the cabinet. The Cabinet Office is formally headed by the Prime Minister. There are usually three Vice Ministers and three Parliamentary Secretaries in the Cabinet Office.-Organization:-External...
. He was a member of the Hashimoto faction
Ryutaro Hashimoto
was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal...
. When he failed to support postal privatization
Japan Post
was a government-owned corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation's largest employer. One third of all Japanese...
, Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
labeled him a "rebel" member of the party, and fielded Seiji Hagiwara
Seiji Hagiwara
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Nishiawakura, Okayama and graduate of the University of Tokyo he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1980, attending Princeton University in the United...
as the "official" party candidate, causing Kumashiro to drop out of the race. After dropping out, he ran for Mayor of Okayama, an office that Hagiwara had vacated to run for the Diet, but lost the race. In 2007, he ran for the House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
, but lost the election.