Ryokichi Minobe
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese politician who served as Governor of Tokyo
from 1967 to 1979. He is one of the best known socialist
figures in modern Japanese history.
He graduated from the law faculty of Tokyo Imperial University in 1927 and lectured in the agriculture faculty from 1929 to 1932. In 1935, he took a faculty position at Hosei University
.
In 1945, Minobe became an editorial writer for the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun
. He was chosen to head the Cabinet Statistics Office in 1946.
president Masatoshi Matsushita (nominee of the LDP
and DSP
) and Shibusawa Shipping head Ken'ichi Abe (nominee of Komeito).
Among his many policy achievements, he is best known for:
In 1971, Minobe won re-election, defeating LDP candidate Akira Hatano
. He was re-elected for a third term in 1975, with the backing of the Socialists, Communists, and Komeito. (His defeated rival, LDP candidate Shintarō Ishihara
, later served as a cabinet minister and eventually won the Tokyo governorship in 1999.)
Many of Minobe's policies toward Chosen Soren, the Zainichi Korean
group affiliated with North Korea
were later undone by Ishihara in the aftermath of the revelation of North Korean abductions of 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...
ese politician who served as Governor of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
from 1967 to 1979. He is one of the best known socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
figures in modern Japanese history.
Early life
Minobe was born in Tokyo. His father, Tatsukichi Minobe, was a noted constitutional scholar, while his mother Tamiko was the eldest daughter of mathematician, educator, and politician Dairoku Kikuchi.He graduated from the law faculty of Tokyo Imperial University in 1927 and lectured in the agriculture faculty from 1929 to 1932. In 1935, he took a faculty position at Hosei University
Hosei University
is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan.The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha , established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō . This was from 1883 headed by Dr. Gustave Emile Boissonade, and was heavily influenced by the French legal tradition...
.
In 1945, Minobe became an editorial writer for the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
. He was chosen to head the Cabinet Statistics Office in 1946.
Governor of Tokyo
In 1967, Minobe ran as the Communist and Socialist candidate for Governor of Tokyo. He defeated his two rivals, Rikkyo UniversityRikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, based on Christian precepts, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama.It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto -History:...
president Masatoshi Matsushita (nominee of the LDP
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 DSP
Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)
The was a social democratic party in Japan.- History :The Democratic Socialist Party was established in 1960 by a breakaway group of the Japan Socialist Party. It was made up of many members of the former Rightist Socialist Party of Japan, a moderate social-democratic faction that existed...
) and Shibusawa Shipping head Ken'ichi Abe (nominee of Komeito).
Among his many policy achievements, he is best known for:
- providing free health care for the elderly
- enactment of pollution controls
- converting streets in heavily trafficked areas to pedestrian-only use
- allowing the construction of the Korean School in Tokyo and exempting its owner, Chosen Soren, from local taxation
- ending government sponsorship to Korakuen HallKorakuen Hallis an arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many boxing, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts matches. Part of Tokyo Dome City, it is one of Tokyo's biggest attractions. It opened on April 16, 1962 and has a capacity of approximately 1,800 people. The venue hosted the boxing...
race trackRace trackA race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
s
In 1971, Minobe won re-election, defeating LDP candidate Akira Hatano
Akira Hatano
is a male Japanese politician.He served as a Minister of Justice and occupied a seat in the House of Councillors.Akira's personal intimacy with Kakuei Tanaka is well-known....
. He was re-elected for a third term in 1975, with the backing of the Socialists, Communists, and Komeito. (His defeated rival, LDP candidate Shintarō Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
, later served as a cabinet minister and eventually won the Tokyo governorship in 1999.)
Many of Minobe's policies toward Chosen Soren, the Zainichi Korean
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
group affiliated with North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
were later undone by Ishihara in the aftermath of the revelation of North Korean abductions of Japanese
North Korean abductions of Japanese
The abductions of Japanese citizens from Japan by agents of the North Korean government happened during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983. Although only 17 Japanese are officially recognized by the Japanese government as having been abducted, there may have been as many as 70 to 80...
.