Toru Hashimoto
Encyclopedia
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and commentator on legal matters. He was the 52nd Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
(the youngest in Japan) and is the president of the Osaka Restoration Association
Osaka Restoration Association
The is a Japanese political party in Osaka Prefecture founded in 2010 by former TV personality and then-Governor Tōru Hashmoto to materilize for "One Osaka" and reduce affiliated organizations of Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka....
('One Osaka'). In November 2011 he was elected as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
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...
alongside Ichiro Matsui of One Osaka who succeeded him as governor .
Personal life
He was born in Shibuya, TokyoShibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, and moved to 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...
when he was in the fifth grade at elementary school. As a student at Kitano High School, he played in the National High School Rugby Tournament
National High School Rugby Tournament
The National High School Rugby Tournament is held annually since 1917 at Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium in East Osaka, Japan from the end of December to early January...
as a member of the school rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, which was one of three champions from the Osaka prefectural tournament.
He studied at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, and passed the bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
in 1994 after his graduation, then became a lawyer in 1996.
After appearing on local TV programs in the Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
area, including Osaka, for several years, he became a well-known TV personality when he started participating in the nationally televised program Gyōretsu no Dekiru Hōritsu Sōdanjo (行列のできる法律相談所, The Legal Advisory Office that People Queue Up For) as one of four lawyers.
He and his wife, whom he has known since high school, have three sons and four daughters.
Gubernatorial election campaign
There were rumours that Hashimoto would run for Mayor of Osaka City in 2007, because of his popularity and status as a lawyer, but he did not do so and, even after Fusae Ohta announced that she would retire as Governor of Osaka Prefecture after finishing her second term, he initially said that he had no intention to run for governor either. However, on December 12, 2007, after he had received pledges of support from the Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal 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 New Komeito 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...
, he announced that he would run in the gubernatorial race. He took 54% of votes in the election on January 27, 2008 and assumed the post of Governor on February 6, 2008.