Taro Kono
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese politician
of the Liberal Democratic Party
, a member of the House of Representatives
in the Diet
(national legislature). Born in Hiratsuka, Odawara, Kanagawa
and graduate of Keio University
, he was elected for the first time in 1996. In 2009 he campaigned to be made President of the LDP.http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090920a1.html
His father is Yōhei Kōno
, the only president of the Liberal Democratic Party to have not become a Prime Minister of Japan
.
He is married to Kaori, a returnee from Australia
, with a son, Ippei, born in 2002. The two enjoy scuba diving
and going to the movies.
Kono 15th district of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Kono was first elected to the House of Representatives of Japan
as a Liberal Democratic member in October 1996, at age 33, and was re-elected in June 2000, November 2003 and September 2005.
His winning majority increased from 13,297 in 1996 to 63,058 in 2000, 71,968 in 2003, and 103,280 in 2005. In the 2005 General Election, the total votes Kono received was 186,770, the second largest number in Japan's electoral history; second only to the then Prime Minister Koizumi's
in the same election.
Government
Liberal Democratic Party Jiminto
Legislative record
Other positions held
Policy positions
As stated on his website, Kono:
, his grandfather, Ichirō Kōno, and great uncle, Kenzō Kōno, were all politicians. In 2003, Yōhei Kōno was made chairman of the House of Representatives
, while Kenzo Kono was chairman of the House of Councillors between 1971 and 1977. According to the NY Times, such a situation is not rare, and more than a quarter of Parliament consists of children of past or current members.
For various reasons Japan has a national shortage of organ donors. When his father Yōhei Kōno was ill from a 30 year old hepatitis C infection, Kono offered a part of his liver. This led to a public argument as his father refused the offer. Eventually his father accepted, and in April 2002, Kono donated part of his liver in a 15 hour operation. Kono has since supported changes to the law regarding organ donation
.
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...
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...
, a 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,...
in 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...
(national legislature). Born in Hiratsuka, Odawara, Kanagawa
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
and graduate of 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...
, he was elected for the first time in 1996. In 2009 he campaigned to be made President of the LDP.http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090920a1.html
His father is Yōhei Kōno
Yohei Kono
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election...
, the only president of the Liberal Democratic Party to have not become a 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...
.
Life and career outside of parliament
Kono was born on the 1st October, 1963, in Hiratsuka, Odawara, as the oldest son of three children.- Attended Hanamizu Elementary School, KeioKeiowas a after Genji and before Meiji. The period spanned the years from April 1865 to September 1868. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
Middle School, and then Keio High School. - In 1981 entered Keio UniversityKeio 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...
as an undergraduate to study economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. - In 1982 went to America, attending the Suffield AcademySuffield AcademySuffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. The Headmaster is Charles Cahn III.-Overview:...
, and Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, where he studied comparative politics. - In 1983, he worked for Alan Cranston in his bid for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. He also worked for Congressman Richard ShelbyRichard ShelbyRichard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
of Alabama for two years. - He also spent time at the Warsaw School of EconomicsWarsaw School of EconomicsWarsaw School of Economics is the oldest economic university in Poland.The Warsaw School of Economics was founded in 1906 as a private school under the name August Zieliński Private Trade Courses for Men. On 30 July 1919 it became a separate legal entity and was granted the status of an...
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, during which he spent a night in prison, having visited the home of Solidarity leader, Lech WałęsaLech WałęsaLech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
. - He graduated from Keio University in 1985.
- In 1986 he joined Fuji XeroxFuji Xeroxis a joint venture partnership between the Japanese photographic firm Fuji Photo Film Co. and the American document management company Xerox to develop, produce and sell xerographic and document-related products and services in the Asia-Pacific region...
. He moved to Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 1991. - In 1993 he joined Nippon Tanshi, a supplier of electric components for Toyota, GMGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
and Matsushita and other companies. - Chairman of Shonan Bellmare, a professional football club.
- Chairman of the Japan Race Horse Association, which organizes Japan's largest yearling sales.
- President, Kanagawa Triathlon Union.
- President, Kanagawa Track and Field Association
- President, Hiratsuka BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
Association. - Teaches a graduate class at Hosei UniversityHosei Universityis 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...
.
He is married to Kaori, a returnee from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with a son, Ippei, born in 2002. The two enjoy scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
and going to the movies.
Political career
Local districtKono 15th district of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Kono was first 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,...
as a Liberal Democratic member in October 1996, at age 33, and was re-elected in June 2000, November 2003 and September 2005.
His winning majority increased from 13,297 in 1996 to 63,058 in 2000, 71,968 in 2003, and 103,280 in 2005. In the 2005 General Election, the total votes Kono received was 186,770, the second largest number in Japan's electoral history; second only to the then Prime Minister Koizumi's
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...
in the same election.
Government
- January 2002 to October 2002: Parliamentary Secretary for Public Management, the position responsible for administrative reforms, local governments, and e-Government.
- November 2, 2005 to September 26, 2006. Senior Vice Minister of Justice under Koizumi's government.
Liberal Democratic Party Jiminto
- In 2004 Kono, then 41, was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and was also elected Prefectural Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party in Kanagawa Prefecture. He was the youngest Prefectural Chairman in the LDP.
- In 2005, Kono led the Party in Kanagawa in the 2005 General Election and managed all 17 LDP candidates in Kanagawa Prefecture elected to the House. The opposition parties lost all district seats in the prefecture for the first time, leading to Kono to tender his resignation.
- Kono remained as the Acting Chairman of the Party Committee until November 2003, and was one of the few LDP Members to oppose the dispatch of the Self Defense Forces to Iraq.
Legislative record
- January 2002 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Public Management.
- As a new MP, Kono established a House subcommittee on Genetically Modified Organisms in 1997 and supported new labeling rules on GMOs.
- In October 2002 Kono was named the Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. He resigned from his position two months later in protest over the Iraq War, accusing Foreign Minister KawaguchiYoriko Kawaguchiis a Japanese politician. She was born in Tokyo. She holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of Tokyo, and a master's in economics from Yale University. She was the minister of the environment of Japan from 2000 until 2002 and the foreign minister of Japan from February 2002...
of not adequately explained the Japanese Government's policy. - In 2004 Kono co-sponsored the Economic Sanction Amendment to the Foreign Exchange Law, which gives the Japanese Government power to unilaterally declare an economic sanction on any state; and the Port Close Bill which allows the Government to refuse the entry of foreign ships from Japanese ports. His website states that: "North KoreaNorth KoreaThe 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...
was the target" - Supported Anti-Skimming law.
- Sponsored the United Nations Reform Bill that would require the Japanese Government to reduce its voluntary contributions to the UN Systems by 10% each year, until changes were made to the Security Council.
Other positions held
- Member of Economy standing committee.
- Member of Environment standing committee.
- Member of Health, Labour and Welfare standing committee.
- Member of Trade and Industry standing committee.
- Member of Finance standing committee.
- Member of Consumer Affairs special committee.
- Member of Children and Youth Affairs special committee.
Policy positions
As stated on his website, Kono:
- He is reported as being the only Japanese law-maker who runs a Korean webpage and as someone who "actively makes use of intern visas for Koreans"
- Opposes the government's nuclear policy, especially plans to pursue the nuclear fuel cycle, and to build new power stations.
- Would not attend YasakuniYasukuni Shrineis a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...
shrine if made Prime Minister. Although he visits Yasakuni Shrine because he has relatives who died in the war, he opposes the enshrining of war-criminals there. Supports a new multi-faith memorial. http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=189925&rel_no=1 - Supports amendment of Article 9Article 9 of the Japanese ConstitutionArticle 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan that prohibits an act of war by the state. The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately following World War II. In its text, the state formally renounces war as a sovereign right and bans...
of the Japanese Constitution, allowing the Self-Defense Forces to engage in warfare. - Supports the Japan-US Security Treaty, but seeks revision of the Status of Forces AgreementStatus of Forces AgreementA status of forces agreement is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security arrangement...
(SOFA) - On the issue of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in the Okinawan city of Futenma, Kono's "off the record" views, "conflict with the official Japanese position."
- Has publicly supported requests for an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace the Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka by 2008.
- Opposes donation of development aid to any countries that have failed to ratify the Complete Test Ban Treaty.
- Supports raising the Consumption Tax rate to 8%, with the funds to be directed towards the National Pension.
Politics and the family
Kono was born to a family of politicians; his father, Yōhei KōnoYohei Kono
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election...
, his grandfather, Ichirō Kōno, and great uncle, Kenzō Kōno, were all politicians. In 2003, Yōhei Kōno was made chairman 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,...
, while Kenzo Kono was chairman of the House of Councillors between 1971 and 1977. According to the NY Times, such a situation is not rare, and more than a quarter of Parliament consists of children of past or current members.
For various reasons Japan has a national shortage of organ donors. When his father Yōhei Kōno was ill from a 30 year old hepatitis C infection, Kono offered a part of his liver. This led to a public argument as his father refused the offer. Eventually his father accepted, and in April 2002, Kono donated part of his liver in a 15 hour operation. Kono has since supported changes to the law regarding organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
.
External links
- Official website in English.
- Official website in Japanese.