Hirokazu Nakaima
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
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...

 bureaucrat
Bureaucrat
A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can comprise the administration of any organization of any size, though the term usually connotes someone within an institution of a government or corporation...

, a business leader, and a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

. He was elected governor of Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...

 in 2006.

History

Nakaima was born on August 19, 1939 in Higashinari Ward
Higashinari-ku, Osaka
Higashinari-ku is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan.-External links:*...

 of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. In 1945 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, his family escaped from the air raids in Osaka
Bombing of Osaka in World War II
The U.S. bombing of Osaka during World War II first took place from the middle of the night on March 13th, 1945, to the early morning of the next day. There were also bomb raids on June 6th, 7th, 15th, 26th, July 10th, 24th, and August 14th, the last day of the war...

 and evacuated
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...

 to Meiji
Saiki, Oita
is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the former city had an estimated population of 49,183 and the density of 249.19 persons per km²...

, Minamiamabe District
Minamiamabe District, Oita
was a district located in Ōita, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 33,239 and the density of 47.09 persons per km². The total area was 705.90 km²....

, Oita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...

. In 1946 he returned to his parents' hometown of Naha, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...

. There he graduated from Kainan Elementary School, Uenoyama Junior High School, and Naha Senior High School. Nakaima excelled in math and science, earning grades that placed him at the top of his class.

Pursuing a dream of becoming an automobile designer, Nakaima sat for an exam to apply for the Government-funded/Self-funded Okinawa Student Program, a system established between the United States Military Government in Okinawa
Government of the Ryukyu Islands
The was the government in Okinawa, Japan after World War II until 1972.-Outline:After the Battle of Okinawa in World War II, the armed forces of the United States occupied Okinawa and set up a local government. In 1952, Japan signed the Treaty of San Francisco and admitted the control of Okinawa...

 and the Japanese Government
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...

 to allow students from Okinawa to attend university in mainland Japan. Nakaima passed the exam and matriculated at 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...

, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1961.

Directly after graduating in 1961, Nakaima joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry was one of the most powerful agencies of the Government of Japan. At the height of its influence, it effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and directing investment...

 (MITI). In the 1980s, Nakaima served as the Director General of the Commerce and Industry Department at the Okinawa General Bureau and later as the Deputy Director-General for Technology Affairs at MITI
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry was one of the most powerful agencies of the Government of Japan. At the height of its influence, it effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and directing investment...

's Agency of Industrial Science and Technology.

In 1987, Nakaima took a Senior General Manager position with the Okinawa Electric Power Company. In 1990, he left the company to become a Vice Governor in the administration of Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota
Masahide Ota
Masahide Ota is a Ryukyuan academic and politician who served as governor of Okinawa prefecture in the 1990s.Ota was educated at Waseda University, Tokyo, and Syracuse University, New York...

. Nakaima returned to the Okinawa Electric Power Company in 1995, serving as the company's President and later Chairman of the Board of Directors.

In 2006 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...

 and the Fair and Clean Government Party
New Komeito Party
The , New Kōmei Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Nichiren Buddhist organization Sōka Gakkai. The leadership and financing of the two groups are currently independent...

 gave him backing for his run in the Okinawa gubernatorial election on November 19. In the election, Nakaima defeated Keiko Itokazu
Keiko Itokazu
is a Japanese politician, an independent and member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Yomitan, Okinawa and high school graduate, she had served in the assembly of Okinawa Prefecture for three terms since 1992 and was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004...

, who received the recommendation of five opposition parties. Nakaima assumed the office of Governor on December 10, 2006. He was re-elected
Okinawan gubernatorial election, 2010
The Okinawan gubernatorial election, 2010 was held on November 28, 2010. The official campaign start will be on November 11. The 2010 election garners national attention mostly for the dispute between the central government and local communities in Okinawa over the planned relocation of Marine...

 for a second term on November 28, 2010, defeating Yoichi Iha.

See also

  • 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...

  • Ministry of International Trade and Industry
    Ministry of International Trade and Industry
    The Ministry of International Trade and Industry was one of the most powerful agencies of the Government of Japan. At the height of its influence, it effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and directing investment...

  • Masahide Ota
    Masahide Ota
    Masahide Ota is a Ryukyuan academic and politician who served as governor of Okinawa prefecture in the 1990s.Ota was educated at Waseda University, Tokyo, and Syracuse University, New York...


External links

Hirokazu Nakaima Supporters' Association Okinawa Prefecture, Governor's Webpage
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