Yoshitada Konoike
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese politician
of the Liberal Democratic Party
, and was a member of the House of Councillors
in the Diet
(national legislature). A native of Amagasaki, Hyōgo
and graduate of Waseda University
, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1986 after an unsuccessful run in 1983. After losing his seat in 1993, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1995.
In an interesting controversy in 2003, after three child sex slaves escaped from the house of a dead captor, Konoike said, "we don't know if the girls are victims or assailants", and added, "if you're arguing the girls were bought as slaves, you assume they have no responsibility".
That same year, Konoike commented on an ongoing murder case, saying that the parents of the accused "should be paraded through the city and decapitated," which caused some controversy as he was in charge of the government's youth programs at that time. In 2007, asked to comment on an unrelated murder case, he said, that "they should be paraded through the ci... no, I'm not allowed to say that, am I?"
Konoike resigned on May 13, 2009 and was admitted to a mental hospital after the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho revealed that he had used his government shinkansen
free pass to travel to Atami to spend several days with a mistress.
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...
, and was a member of the House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
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). A native of Amagasaki, Hyōgo
Amagasaki, Hyogo
is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.-History:...
and graduate of 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...
, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1986 after an unsuccessful run in 1983. After losing his seat in 1993, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1995.
In an interesting controversy in 2003, after three child sex slaves escaped from the house of a dead captor, Konoike said, "we don't know if the girls are victims or assailants", and added, "if you're arguing the girls were bought as slaves, you assume they have no responsibility".
That same year, Konoike commented on an ongoing murder case, saying that the parents of the accused "should be paraded through the city and decapitated," which caused some controversy as he was in charge of the government's youth programs at that time. In 2007, asked to comment on an unrelated murder case, he said, that "they should be paraded through the ci... no, I'm not allowed to say that, am I?"
Konoike resigned on May 13, 2009 and was admitted to a mental hospital after the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho revealed that he had used his government shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
free pass to travel to Atami to spend several days with a mistress.
External links
- Official website in Japanese.