Yoshiro Mori
Encyclopedia
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 inappropriate actions. He is currently President of the Japan Rugby Football Union
as well as the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union
.
, Japan, as the son of Shigeki
and Kaoru Mori, wealthy rice farmers with a history in politics, as both his father and grandfather served as the mayor of Neagari
, Ishikawa Prefecture
. His mother died when Yoshiro was seven years old.
He studied at the Waseda University
in Tokyo, joining the rugby union
club. Afterwards he joined the Sankei Shimbun
, a conservative newspaper in Japan. In 1962, he left the newspaper and became secretary of a Diet
member, and in 1969, he was elected in the lower house
at age 32. He was reelected 10 consecutive times. In 1980, he was involved in the Recruit scandal
about receiving unlisted shares of Recruit (company)
before they were publicly traded, and selling them after they were made public for a profit of approximately 1 million dollars. He was education minister in 1983 and 1984, International trade and industry minister in 1992 and 1993, and construction minister in 1995 and 1996.
, suffered a stroke on 2 April 2000 and was unable to continue this office. Therefore, Mori, who was the secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP), became the prime minister.
His position in office was marred with a long list of faux-pas, unpopular decisions, PR mistakes and gaffes:
Towards the end of his term, his approval rating dropped to single digits. He was replaced by Junichiro Koizumi
on 26 April 2001.
Mori remains a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Second District of Ishikawa. He is married to Chieko (born: Chieko Maki), a fellow Waseda University student, and he has a son, Yūki Mori, and a daughter, Yoko Fujimoto. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
, India's third highest civilian award, in 2004.
and developed a passion for it there, though he was never a high-level player. In June 2005, he became President of the Japan Rugby Football Union
and it had been hoped his clout would help secure the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup for Japan, but instead the event was awarded to New Zealand in late November 2005. This led former PM Yoshiro Mori
to accuse the Commonwealth
countries of "passing the ball around their friends." (However at a special IRB
meeting held in Dublin on 28 July 2009, Japan was announced as the host for the 2019 RWC.)
Once when he discussed his relationship with the other parties in the ruling coalition, he stated, "In rugby, one person doesn't become a star, one person plays for all, and all play for one."
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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...
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 inappropriate actions. He is currently President of the Japan Rugby Football Union
Japan Rugby Football Union
The Japan Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed November 30, 1926 and is currently one of only two federations from a "Tier 2" country with a seat on the International Rugby Board executive council, the sport's international governing body...
as well as the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union
Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union
The is a super-governmental organization which promotes exchange and friendship between Japan and the Republic of Korea. It is led by former prime minister Yoshiro Mori and is composed primarily of Diet members from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party....
.
Early political life
Yoshiro Mori was born in present-day Nomi, IshikawaNomi, Ishikawa
is a city located in Ishikawa, Japan.As of January 1, 2005 population data, the city has an estimated population of 47,826 and a density of 570 persons per km²...
, Japan, as the son of Shigeki
Shigeki Mori
was a Japanese businessman and politician, mayor of Neagari, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, father of a former Japanese prime minister Yoshirō Mori.He was the initiator of the Monument of Friendship between Russia and Japan in Irkutsk, Russia...
and Kaoru Mori, wealthy rice farmers with a history in politics, as both his father and grandfather served as the mayor of Neagari
Neagari, Ishikawa
Neagari was a town located in Nomi District, Ishikawa, Japan.On February 1, 2005 Neagari was merged with the towns of Tatsunokuchi and Terai, all from Nomi District, to form the new city of Nomi and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of...
, Ishikawa Prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
. His mother died when Yoshiro was seven years old.
He studied at the 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...
in Tokyo, joining the rugby union
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...
club. Afterwards he joined the Sankei Shimbun
Sankei Shimbun
is a daily newspaper in Japan published by the . It has the sixth highest circulation for a newspaper in Japan, and is considered as one of the five "national" newspapers...
, a conservative newspaper in Japan. In 1962, he left the newspaper and became secretary of a 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...
member, and in 1969, he was elected in the lower house
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,...
at age 32. He was reelected 10 consecutive times. In 1980, he was involved in 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...
about receiving unlisted shares of Recruit (company)
Recruit (company)
Recruit Co., Ltd. is a classified advertisement, publication and human resources company in Japan, founded in 1963 originally as an advertisement company specialized in university newspapers.-Overview:...
before they were publicly traded, and selling them after they were made public for a profit of approximately 1 million dollars. He was education minister in 1983 and 1984, International trade and industry minister in 1992 and 1993, and construction minister in 1995 and 1996.
Prime minister
Mori's predecessor, Keizō ObuchiKeizo 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....
, suffered a stroke on 2 April 2000 and was unable to continue this office. Therefore, Mori, who was the secretary general 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...
(LDP), became the prime minister.
His position in office was marred with a long list of faux-pas, unpopular decisions, PR mistakes and gaffes:
- One of the earliest occurred at Obuchi's funeral, when Mori failed to clap and bow properly before Obuchi's shrine, an important portion of a traditional Japanese funeral rite. The other world leaders present at the funeral, including former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, performed the ritual correctly.
- At a meeting of ShintoShintoor Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
leaders in Tokyo, Mori described Japan as "the nation of the deities, with the Emperor at its center." This "divine nation statement" stirred controversy in Japan, as the statement sounded like he was in support of offering the Emperor absolute power, which Emperor Showa explicitly renounced in the Ningen Sengen. - During the election campaign of 2000, one of his most notable "slips of the tongue" happened in a speech in Niigata on 20 June. When asked about recent newspaper reports that showed that roughly half of the voters still had not decided whom to vote for, he replied “If they still have no interest in the election, it would be all right if they just slept in on that [election] day.” http://www.nzasia.org.nz/journal/NZJAS-back-issues/NZJAS-June02/Rudd.pdf
- Mori's biggest public relations disaster was to continue a round of golf after receiving the news that the US submarine USS GreenevilleUSS Greeneville (SSN-772)USS Greeneville , a , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Greeneville, Tennessee. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, on 14 December 1988, and her keel was laid down on 28 February 1992...
had accidentally hit and sunk the Japanese fishing ship Ehime MaruEhime Maru and USS Greeneville collisionThe Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision was a ship collision between the United States Navy submarine USS Greeneville and the Japanese fishery high school training ship Ehime Maru on 9 February 2001, about off the south coast of Oahu, Hawaii, United States...
during an emergency surface drill on 9 February 2001, resulting in 9 dead students and teachers. - Mori promised then newly elected ROCRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
President Chen Shui-bianChen Shui-bianChen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
that he would celebrate if Chen won the 2000 presidential elections. This promise was not fulfilled until late 2003, at the time Chen was running for re-election to a second term.
Towards the end of his term, his approval rating dropped to single digits. He was replaced by 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...
on 26 April 2001.
Mori remains a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Second District of Ishikawa. He is married to Chieko (born: Chieko Maki), a fellow Waseda University student, and he has a son, Yūki Mori, and a daughter, Yoko Fujimoto. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's third highest civilian award, in 2004.
Cabinets
Mori appointed three cabinets. The third cabinet is officially referred to as a continuation of the second cabinet, as the changes came amid a major administrative realignment in January 2001 that eliminated several cabinet positions and renamed several key ministries.| First Cabinet (April 2000) |
Second Cabinet (July 2000) |
Second Cabinet, Realigned (Jan. 2001) |
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Chief Cabinet Secretary Chief Cabinet Secretary __notoc__The of Japan is a Minister of State who is responsible for directing the Cabinet Secretariat. The main function of Chief Cabinet Secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch... |
Yasuo Fukuda Yasuo Fukuda was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.... |
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Japanese Rugby
Mori played the game of rugby union at Waseda UniversityWaseda 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 developed a passion for it there, though he was never a high-level player. In June 2005, he became President of the Japan Rugby Football Union
Japan Rugby Football Union
The Japan Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed November 30, 1926 and is currently one of only two federations from a "Tier 2" country with a seat on the International Rugby Board executive council, the sport's international governing body...
and it had been hoped his clout would help secure the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup for Japan, but instead the event was awarded to New Zealand in late November 2005. This led former PM Yoshiro Mori
Yoshiro 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...
to accuse the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
countries of "passing the ball around their friends." (However at a special IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
meeting held in Dublin on 28 July 2009, Japan was announced as the host for the 2019 RWC.)
Once when he discussed his relationship with the other parties in the ruling coalition, he stated, "In rugby, one person doesn't become a star, one person plays for all, and all play for one."
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
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