Ryutaro Hashimoto
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese 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 forced him to resign his leadership position in 2004. Disgraced, he chose not to stand in the general election of 2005, and effectively retired from politics. He died on 1 July 2006 at a Tokyo hospital.
. His father, Ryōgo Hashimoto, was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi
. Following his father's lead, Ryutaro received his degree in political science from Keio University
in 1960, and was elected to the House of Representatives of Japan
in 1963.
He moved through the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party
over the next twenty years, landing a spot as Minister of Health and Welfare under premier Masayoshi Ōhira
in 1978, and in 1980 became the LDP's director of finance and public administration. He again became a cabinet minister in 1986 under Yasuhiro Nakasone
, and in 1989 became secretary general of the LDP, the highest rank short of prime minister.
Hashimoto became a key figure in the strong LDP faction founded by Kakuei Tanaka
in the 1970s, which later fell into the hands of Noboru Takeshita
, who then was tainted by the Recruit scandal
of 1988. The LDP momentarily lost power following the collapse of the bubble economy, and in 1991, the press discovered that one of Hashimoto's secretaries had been involved in an illegal financial dealing. Hashimoto retired as Minister of Finance, but was almost immediately brought back to the cabinet, this time under coalition premier Tomiichi Murayama
as Minister of International Trade and Industry
. As the chief of MITI, Hashimoto made himself known at meetings of APEC and at summit conferences.
When Murayama stepped down in 1996, the LDP elected Hashimoto to become Japan's next prime minister.
Hashimoto's popularity was largely based on his attitude. When asked about why Japanese car dealerships did not sell American cars, he answered, "Why doesn't IBM
sell Fujitsu
computers?" When Japan's economy did not seem to be recovering from its 1991 collapse, Hashimoto ordered a commission of experts from the private sector to look into improving the Japanese market for foreign competition, and eventually opening it completely. This gave Hashimoto the political capital he needed to dissolve the Diet
in 1996 and win re-election.
During the Upper House elections 1998, the LDP lost its majority. Hashimoto resigned to take responsibility for this failure, and was succeeded as Prime Minister by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi
.
as prime minister, but he lost the primary election to the more popular Junichiro Koizumi
.
Hashimoto's faction began to collapse late in 2003 while debating over whether to re-elect Koizumi. In 2004, Hashimoto stepped down as faction leader when he was found to have accepted a ¥100 million check from the Japan Dental Association, and announced that he would not run for re-election in his lower house district.
, Daijiro Hashimoto, is his half-brother.
House of Representatives member Gaku Hashimoto
and member of the Liberal Democratic Party
is his second son.
) in Kendo
, the art of Japanese fencing. In 1998, he was presented with the Silver World Award
by Jere Ratcliffe
, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America
, "for outstanding contributions to young people on an international level".
On World Water Day (March 22) in 2004, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan established a global Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, and appointed Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto as its Chairman. Just prior to his death, Ryutaro Hashimoto submitted a letter addressed to "The People of the World," for publication in the book Water Voices from Around The World (October 2007), which is a book affiliated with the United Nations' decade of water (2005-2015). In his letter, Mr. Hashimoto addresses water-related disasters around the world, with an urgent appeal to the United Nations to halve the number of deaths caused by water disasters by 2015. Mr. Hashimoto closes this letter by writing: "An old proverb says 'Dripping water wears away the stone.' I humbly suggest, that through steadfast efforts, we can overcome any obstacle our civilization may encounter in the coming decade."
In 1999, Hashimoto appeared as a judge on the Japanese television show Iron Chef
for the show's final battle, between Hiroyuki Sakai
and Alain Passard
.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the 82nd and 83rd 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...
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 forced him to resign his leadership position in 2004. Disgraced, he chose not to stand in the general election of 2005, and effectively retired from politics. He died on 1 July 2006 at a Tokyo hospital.
Early political life
He was born in Sōja, OkayamaSoja, Okayama
is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 67,357, with a household number of 24,623, and the density of 317.72 persons per km². The total area is 212.00 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954...
. His father, Ryōgo Hashimoto, was a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi
Nobusuke Kishi
was a Japanese politician and the 56th and 57th Prime Minister of Japan from February 25, 1957 to June 12, 1958 and from then to July 19, 1960. He was often called Shōwa no yōkai .- Early life :...
. Following his father's lead, Ryutaro received his degree in political science from Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
in 1960, and was elected to 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,...
in 1963.
He moved through the ranks 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...
over the next twenty years, landing a spot as Minister of Health and Welfare under premier Masayoshi Ōhira
Masayoshi Ohira
was a Japanese politician and the 68th and 69th Prime Minister of Japan from December 7, 1978 to June 12, 1980. He is the most recent Japanese prime minister to die in office.He was born in present day Kan'onji, Kagawa and attended Hitotsubashi University....
in 1978, and in 1980 became the LDP's director of finance and public administration. He again became a cabinet minister in 1986 under Yasuhiro Nakasone
Yasuhiro Nakasone
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from November 27, 1982 to November 6, 1987. A contemporary of Brian Mulroney, Ronald Reagan, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, he is best known for pushing through the privatization of...
, and in 1989 became secretary general of the LDP, the highest rank short of prime minister.
Hashimoto became a key figure in the strong LDP faction founded by Kakuei Tanaka
Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician and the 64th and 65th Prime Minister of Japan from 7 July 1972 to 22 December 1972 and from 22 December 1972 to 9 December 1974 respectively...
in the 1970s, which later fell into the hands of Noboru Takeshita
Noboru Takeshita
was a Japanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from November 6, 1987 to June 3, 1989.Takeshita was also the last Prime Minister during the long rule of the Emperor Shōwa.-Early years:...
, who then was tainted by the Recruit scandal
Recruit scandal
The was an insider trading and corruption scandal that forced many prominent Japanese politicians to resign in 1988.Recruit is a human resources and classifieds company based in Tokyo. Its chairman, Hiromasa Ezoe, offered a number of shares in a Recruit subsidiary, Cosmos, to business leaders and...
of 1988. The LDP momentarily lost power following the collapse of the bubble economy, and in 1991, the press discovered that one of Hashimoto's secretaries had been involved in an illegal financial dealing. Hashimoto retired as Minister of Finance, but was almost immediately brought back to the cabinet, this time under coalition premier Tomiichi Murayama
Tomiichi Murayama
is a retired Japanese politician who served as the 81st Prime Minister of Japan from June 30, 1994 to January 11, 1996. He was the head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan and the first Socialist prime minister in nearly fifty years...
as Minister 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...
. As the chief of MITI, Hashimoto made himself known at meetings of APEC and at summit conferences.
Prime minister
Hashimoto's popularity was largely based on his attitude. When asked about why Japanese car dealerships did not sell American cars, he answered, "Why doesn't IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
sell Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
computers?" When Japan's economy did not seem to be recovering from its 1991 collapse, Hashimoto ordered a commission of experts from the private sector to look into improving the Japanese market for foreign competition, and eventually opening it completely. This gave Hashimoto the political capital he needed to dissolve the Diet
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...
in 1996 and win re-election.
During the Upper House elections 1998, the LDP lost its majority. Hashimoto resigned to take responsibility for this failure, and was succeeded as Prime Minister by Foreign Minister Keizō Obuchi
Keizo Obuchi
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
.
Later political life
Hashimoto remained in the upper echelons of the LDP and led his faction for several more years. In 2001, he was one of the main candidates in the running to replace Yoshirō MoriYoshiro Mori
is a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
as prime minister, but he lost the primary election to the more popular 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...
.
Hashimoto's faction began to collapse late in 2003 while debating over whether to re-elect Koizumi. In 2004, Hashimoto stepped down as faction leader when he was found to have accepted a ¥100 million check from the Japan Dental Association, and announced that he would not run for re-election in his lower house district.
Family
The current governor of Kōchi PrefectureKochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, Daijiro Hashimoto, is his half-brother.
House of Representatives member Gaku Hashimoto
Gaku Hashimoto
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Sōja, Okayama he attended the Keio University as both undergraduate and graduate...
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...
is his second son.
Other information
Ryutaro Hashimoto achieved the level of sixth degree black belt (6th danDan rank
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
) in Kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
, the art of Japanese fencing. In 1998, he was presented with the Silver World Award
Silver World Award
The Silver World Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on an international basis. Recipients must be a citizen of a country with a Scouting program that is a member of the World Scout Conference...
by Jere Ratcliffe
Jere Ratcliffe
Jere Brian Ratcliffe is a retired professional Scouter in the Boy Scouts of America who was the ninth Chief Scout Executive.-Background:Ratcliffe grew up in Springfield, Ohio, where he met his wife, the former Judy Jones. He was awarded Eagle Scout in 1955 and as an adult was presented with the...
, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, "for outstanding contributions to young people on an international level".
On World Water Day (March 22) in 2004, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan established a global Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, and appointed Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto as its Chairman. Just prior to his death, Ryutaro Hashimoto submitted a letter addressed to "The People of the World," for publication in the book Water Voices from Around The World (October 2007), which is a book affiliated with the United Nations' decade of water (2005-2015). In his letter, Mr. Hashimoto addresses water-related disasters around the world, with an urgent appeal to the United Nations to halve the number of deaths caused by water disasters by 2015. Mr. Hashimoto closes this letter by writing: "An old proverb says 'Dripping water wears away the stone.' I humbly suggest, that through steadfast efforts, we can overcome any obstacle our civilization may encounter in the coming decade."
In 1999, Hashimoto appeared as a judge on the Japanese television show Iron Chef
Iron Chef
is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1992, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended...
for the show's final battle, between Hiroyuki Sakai
Hiroyuki Sakai
is a well-known Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine. Sakai is most famous for being the second, and last, Iron Chef French on the Japanese television show Iron Chef, first appearing at the beginning of 1994 and continued his appearance in shows over nine seasons...
and Alain Passard
Alain Passard
Alain Passard is a French chef and owner of the three star restaurant L'Arpège in Paris.The son of musicians, Passard is also passionate about music, playing the saxophone. He recently released his first book, Les Recettes des Drôles de Petites Bêtes, a recipe book written especially for children...
.
External links
- Reuters. (July 1, 2006). Former Japan PM Hashimoto dies at 68. In Chinadaily.com. Retrieved on July 23, 2006.
- Water Voices from Around The World. (October 17, 2007). Hashimoto's letter addressed To People of the World.
- Junichiro Koizumi. August 8, 2006. Memorial Address at the Joint Memorial Service by the Cabinet and Liberal Democratic Party for the Late Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto. http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/koizumispeech/2006/08/08tuito_e.html Retrieved on February 9, 2007.