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102-410: Kōchikai was founded in 1957 by Hayato Ikeda as he prepared to contest against his rivals for Liberal Democratic Party leadership and the premiership itself. Originally, it was modeled on a think tank , and was initially called the "Kōchikai Policy Study Group" (宏池会政策研究会). The name Kōchikai ("Broad Pond Society") was given to the group by right-wing power broker Masahiro Yasuoka , and was taken from

204-628: A backbencher in the Diet. On 8 July 2022, former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara , two days before elections for the House of Councilors . While not politically motivated, the killing shocked many in Japan. Kono said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the assassination. He further stated it was an honor to have served under Abe, who he referred to as

306-436: A kingmaker role by throwing its support to one candidate or another. For example, when Shinzō Abe resigned from his first stint as prime minister in 2007, Kōchikai's support proved decisive in handing the premiership to Yasuo Fukuda instead of heavy favorite Tarō Asō . Kōchikai's fortunes began to revive under Koga's handpicked successor, Fumio Kishida , a party deep insider whose father and grandfather had both served in

408-570: A "great leader." Kono also promised to "carry out his last wishes and do my utmost to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific ." The assassination of Abe revealed ties between the LDP and the Unification Church, a South Korean new religious movement. The suspect in the killing, Tetsuya Yamagami , said he was motivated by a grudge against the Church and Abe's friendly relationship with it. In

510-592: A "security threat" for the first time. Addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies , in Washington D.C. , he stated “When I was foreign minister, I was very careful not to say that China is a threat although I repeatedly said ‘grave concern’ at news conferences. But as defense minister, I must say China has become a security threat to Japan.” Shinzo Abe announced during a press conference on 28 August 2020 that he would resign as Prime Minister, due to

612-589: A Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and the following year he joined Fuji Xerox . He moved to Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific in Singapore in 1991. In 1993, he joined Nippon Tanshi  [ ja ] (日本端子), a supplier of electric components for Toyota , General Motors , Panasonic , and other companies. Kono was first elected to the House of Representatives of Japan as a Liberal Democratic member in

714-509: A broader strategic effort to unseat prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone . Miyazawa was powerful enough to become prime minister in 1991, but his policy objectives were consistently thwarted by a rival LDP faction led by Noboru Takeshita , until finally a schism within the Takeshita faction brought down Miyazawa's government and handed power to the opposition parties in 1993. However, Miyazawa remained head of Kōchikai, and in 1994 helped engineer

816-740: A cabinet reshuffle in 1952, but was forced to resign less than one month later after he was reported to have said in the Diet , in reference to efforts to curb rampant inflation, "even if five or ten small businessmen commit suicide, it can't be helped." Nevertheless, Ikeda remained a senior LDP lawmaker in various party posts, and returned to the Cabinet as Minister of Finance in December 1956. He then became minister without portfolio in June 1958, and Minister of International Trade and Industry in June 1959. Ikeda

918-444: A dramatic personal makeover. He drew a sharp contrast to Kishi's "high posture" (高姿勢, kō shisei ) and ruthless, take-no-prisoners approach by taking a "low posture" (低姿勢, tei shisei ) and by adopting an accommodating stance toward the political opposition and making "Tolerance and Patience" (i.e. toward the political opposition) his slogan for the fall election campaign. Ikeda also underwent a deliberate physical makeover, switching out

1020-486: A financial assistance system in addition to offering vocational guidance and placement services through approximately 600 Public Employment Security Offices (PESO) and their branch offices. In addition, the 1963 Welfare Law for the Aged provided funding for respite care, home care, homes for the aged, and other services paid by taxes collected through local and central governments. In 1963, Ikeda remained extremely popular and

1122-524: A line from the Eastern Han dynasty poet Ma Rong : "Let's go lie in the pavilion on the hill, and gaze at the broad pond." It was also a pun on Ikeda's surname, which means "rice field by the pond." Early members of the group tended to be bureaucrats or ex-bureaucrats drawn from the ranks of government ministries and included, in addition to Ikeda himself, Masayoshi Ōhira , Shigesaburō Maeo , Osamu Shimomura , Zentarō Kosaka , and Kiichi Miyazawa . In

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1224-487: A military. He even made "no constitutional revision on our watch" one of the LDP's campaign slogans for the general election. This move outraged his predecessor Kishi, who had avidly pursued constitutional revision. However, it also severely damaged the electoral prospects of the opposition Japan Socialist Party going forward, as the JSP had previously been able to win votes by pointing out that they needed at least one-third of

1326-536: A new low of only 40 percent of the faction in 1979, and continuing to decline thereafter. Ōhira's sudden death in 1980, while still in office as prime minister, left both headship of Kōchikai and the premiership itself in the hands of faction member Zenkō Suzuki . Suzuki declined to run for reelection as LDP party head in 1982, ending his stint as prime minister, but remained head of the Kōchikai faction until 1986, at which time he relinquished headship to Miyazawa as part of

1428-519: A package of targeted tax breaks, government investment, and an expanded social safety net to turbocharge economic growth. Ikeda's new image and Income Doubling Plan proved popular, and he won a resounding victory at the polls in the fall, leaving no chance that one of his factional rivals in the LDP could replace him. Upon taking office, Ikeda acted quickly to defuse the bloody clash at the Miike mine. As his Labor Minister, he chose Hirohide Ishida , who

1530-539: A position at Hitachi , but returned to the Ministry of Finance in December 1934 to head a tax office in Osaka . Ikeda remained within the ministry through the end of World War II , eventually becoming Vice Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1947. Ikeda resigned from the Ministry of Finance in 1948 and won a seat in the House of Representatives, representing a portion of Hiroshima Prefecture , in

1632-465: A position he served in for less than year before resigning amidst a cabinet reshuffle. Kono returned to government in 2017 as Foreign Minister under Abe. His tenure oversaw a trade dispute with South Korea and deepening of ties with the United States . After about two years in that role, Abe designated Kono as Minister of Defense in 2019. As Defense Minister, he presided over the cancellation of

1734-554: A potential future prime minister, running for party leadership three times. Taro Kono was born on 10 January 1963, in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa , the oldest of the three children of Yōhei Kōno , a former President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Speaker of the House of Representatives . He was born into a family of politicians: his father, his grandfather Ichirō Kōno , and his great-uncle Kenzō Kōno (Speaker of

1836-413: A reputation as an outspoken and sometimes "eccentric" politician. Foreign media reports considered Kono to be more dovish compared to Abe, and expected him to take a softer diplomatic approach to foreign policy. Many analysts were particularly optimistic that Kono would adopt his father's friendly attitude toward China. Later that month, Kono visited the United States where he called for ratification of

1938-417: A stable, "big tent" party that could win thumping super-majorities at the polls by winning votes from a broad cross-section of interest groups, while also not abusing those super-majorities by ramming through unpopular policies. In particular, Ikeda's renunciation of constitutional revision, long seen as a holy grail by LDP conservatives, set the course for Japan's stable conservative rule under U.S. hegemony for

2040-536: A vaccine supply contract with the Japanese government. By the end of his term, nearly 70% of Japan's population received at least one dose of the vaccine. By August 2021, Suga was facing low approval rating was dropping rapidly, dropping to as low as 28%. On 3 September 2021, Suga, who had initially announced plans to run for a second term as LDP President in July, announced that he would not seek re-election as head of

2142-457: A weak socially conservative nature. Leaders of Kochikai have described themselves as liberal. However, Kōchikai's politicians remain socially conservative on some issues, including LGBT rights . Faction heads who became prime minister are in bold. Hayato Ikeda Hayato Ikeda ( 池田 勇人 , Ikeda Hayato , 3 December 1899 – 13 August 1965) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1960 to 1964. He

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2244-623: Is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for Digital Transformation from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party , he previously served as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform from 2015 to 2016 and from 2020 to 2021, and was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . He is also a member of the House of Representatives representing Kanagawa 's 15th district since 1996. Born in 1963

2346-733: Is best known for his Income Doubling Plan , which promised to double Japan's GDP in 10 years, and for presiding over the 1964 Tokyo Olympics . Born in Hiroshima Prefecture , Ikeda studied law at Kyoto Imperial University and entered the Ministry of Finance in 1925, working there for the next two decades. After the war, he was first elected to the National Diet in 1947 and served as finance minister from 1949 to 1952 under Shigeru Yoshida , being responsible implementing an economic stabilization program. Ikeda briefly headed

2448-571: Is considered a centrist within the LDP, supporting same-sex marriage and more acceptance of immigrants into Japan. Kono also favors a strong national defense, strengthening alliances with the US and Canada , as well as pacific partners like Australia and South Korea , and is a proponent of the concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific . He is also known for his large following on social media and his fluency in English . Kono has long been speculated as

2550-467: The 1964 Tokyo Olympics , thus allowing Kōno to accrue much of the glory and credit for the successful Olympic Games, which were seen as Japan's "coming out party" after completing postwar reconstruction. By 1963, Ikeda was also powerful enough to announce, over the objection of many conservatives in his own party, that the LDP would renounce any effort to revise Japan's postwar constitution and specifically Article 9 , which forbade Japan from maintaining

2652-579: The 2007 local elections , in which the LDP-supported candidate Tadashi Sugino lost to incumbent Shigefumi Matsuzawa . He became head of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee in September 2008. Kono ran for President of the LDP in 2009 , but was defeated by Sadakazu Tanigaki . Kono replaced Hiroyuki Sonoda as Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP in April 2010, after Sonoda left

2754-494: The 2021 LDP leadership election , losing to Fumio Kishida in a second round run-off. After spending less than a year in the backbenches, Kono was appointed Digital Affairs Minister by Kishida in 2022. In this role he has attempted to revive the My Number card system, and has rolled out reforms for thousands of regulations in an effort to cut down on bureaucratic red tape . After Kishida resigned, he ran for party leadership for

2856-549: The Aegis Ashore deployment process, and on the following day, 25 June, it was announced that the National Security Council had officially decided to abandon the deployment at its on June 24. Kono attributed the cancellation of the deployment to cost and technical issues. The US Department of Defense stated the system would cost 200 billion yen ($ 1.89 billion) and take 12 years to fix a problem with

2958-665: The Aegis Ashore missile defense system, a more tense relationship with China, and the strengthening of security partnerships with nations in the Indo-Pacific . After Abe resigned in 2020, he was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga who retained Kono in his cabinet. Kono returned to his prior role as the Administrative Reform Minister, organizing Japan's vaccine rollout in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . Suga supported Kono to replace him as party president in

3060-438: The COVID-19 vaccine . Kono was responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and other relevant government agencies, as well as pharmaceutical companies, medical associations, pharmaceutical wholesalers, and logistics companies. He became known as Japan's "Vaccine Czar " during his tenure, a name he embraced when facing questions in the Diet. Kono announced on 20 January that Pfizer had agreed to

3162-716: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the US has not yet ratified. As foreign minister, Kono was responsible for coordinating Japan's response to the North Korean crisis . He publicly urged countries to cut diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea following the announcement of enhanced sanctions by the US government in September 2017. Kono also reportedly pressed Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif to increase Iranian pressure on North Korea. Kono's father publicly criticized

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3264-513: The House of Councillors between 1971 and 1977), were all active in Japanese politics. Kono attended Hanamizu Elementary School, Keio Middle School, and then Keio Senior High School . In 1981, he entered Keio University to study economics but dropped out in order to study in the United States. In 1982, he went to the United States, where he attended Suffield Academy and Georgetown University , and studied comparative politics. In 1983, he worked for Senator Alan Cranston in his campaign for

3366-703: The Iraq War , accusing Foreign Minister Kawaguchi of not adequately explaining the government's policy. Kono was the Acting Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Committee until November 2003 and was one of the few members of the LDP to oppose the dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq. In 2004, Kono, then 41, was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and

3468-456: The Ministry of Finance following graduation in 1925. While at the ministry, he served as the head of the local tax offices in Hakodate and Utsunomiya . During his time in the latter role, in 1929, he contracted pemphigus foliaceus and went on sick leave for two years, formally resigning in 1931 once his sick leave had run out. The condition was cured by 1934. He briefly considered accepting

3570-434: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1952, but resigned after a no-confidence motion . He returned as finance minister under Tanzan Ishibashi from 1956 to 1957, and as international trade and industry minster from 1959 to 1960. Ikeda succeeded Nobusuke Kishi as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister in 1960, following Kishi's resignation amid the massive Anpo protests against

3672-643: The October 1996 general election , at age 33. He won a closely contested election in the newly created Kanagawa 15th district covering the cities of Hiratsuka and Chigasaki , adjacent to his father's constituency in the Kanagawa 17th district ( Odawara and Hadano ). He has since been re-elected six times in 2000 , 2003 , 2005 , 2009 , 2012 and 2014 , respectively. His winning majority increased from 13,297 in 1996 to 63,058 in 2000, 71,968 in 2003, and 103,280 in 2005. The total number of votes he received in 2005

3774-479: The US-Japan Security Treaty . Seeking to redirect the nation's energies away from social conflict and in the direction of economic growth, Ikeda announced his Income Doubling Plan and helped Japan to double its GDP in a period of just seven years. During his tenure, Ikeda worked to repair the rift in U.S.–Japan relations and to ease the domestic political divisions which had been exacerbated by

3876-478: The election. On economic policy, he said he would return to " fiscal austerity ." Kono also said he would ask lawmakers receiving kickbacks to return the money. The day after Kono’s press conference, Taro Aso told faction members that he would personally back Kono, but would allow members to support other candidates. On 6 September Kono stated that a Constitutional amendment concerning Article 9 should include "collective self-defense rights" beyond clearly stating

3978-572: The general election of 23 January 1949 . He was a part of the liberal group that established the Democratic Liberal Party , a forerunner of the current Liberal Democratic Party . Along with Eisaku Satō , Ikeda was an understudy of Shigeru Yoshida early in his career, and was called an "honor student" for his commitment to the ideas presented in the Yoshida Doctrine , although he was a strong personality himself. He

4080-411: The " 1955 System " in Japanese politics, after it nearly came apart amid vicious factional infighting within the LDP during the 1960 Security Treaty crisis . Ikeda's "low posture" and conciliatory politics helped tame factions within his own party and reduce inter-party conflict with the opposition parties in order to preclude future mass extra-parliamentary street protests. Ikeda helped turn the LDP into

4182-457: The 1950s, Ikeda developed a reputation as a distant and haughty technocrat unsympathetic to the concerns of ordinary people following a series of verbal gaffes. In a December 1950 Upper House Budget Committee meeting, for example, Ikeda suggested that poor people should eat more barley, rather than expensive white rice. This was reported in the press as "Let the poor eat barley!" Ikeda then became Minister of International Trade and Industry following

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4284-553: The 1950s. Domestically, Ikeda fulfilled his promise to expand the social safety net in support of the Income Doubling Plan. A universal national pension scheme was established in 1961, together with a system of universal health insurance. The Physically Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Law was passed in 1960 to promote the employment of people with physical disabilities through the creation of an employment quota system in Japan, an on-the-job adjustment scheme, and

4386-538: The 60th Anniversary of the U.S.–Japan Alliance on 14 January. The Defense Ministry launched a 'space defense unit' in May 2020. Kono said it was part of an effort to monitor and counter threats to the Japan's satellites. The Space Operations Squadron, part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, was set to be in full operation by 2023. On 15 June 2020, the United States announced the suspension of

4488-817: The Aegis booster rocket. Kono was reportedly upset with officials who had not learned of the flaws with the missile system sooner. In August 2020, Kono warned the Chinese government that the Japanese Self-Defense Force would respond to any intrusions on the disputed Senkaku Islands . Later that month, Kono oversaw an aerial inspection of the islands. After The Pentagon released videos pertaining to alleged UFO encounters, Kono unveiled an official protocol for encountering unidentified aerial phenomena in September 2020. During his last week as Defense Minister in September 2020, Kono described China as

4590-590: The Democratic Party presidential nomination . He also worked for then Representative Richard Shelby of Alabama (at the time a Democrat) for two years. He also spent time at the Warsaw School of Economics , Poland , during which he spent a night in prison after visiting the home of Solidarity leader, Lech Wałęsa . Kono later said his visits abroad helped him see Japan "in an objective way". Kono graduated from Georgetown University in 1985 with

4692-469: The Diet and who had held a series of cabinet posts in both Abe administrations and the Fukuda administration. A moderate who could win support from across the party, Kishida defeated maverick lawmaker Taro Kono in the party presidential election in September 2021. In December 2023, in light of a growing political funds scandal within the LDP, Kishida resigned as the head of Kōchikai and announced he will leave

4794-432: The House, Kono served on various committees before running in the 2009 LDP leadership election ; after losing to Sadakazu Tanigaki , he became Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP. After two years in the opposition, the LDP returned to power in the 2012 general election , while Kono remained a backbencher . In October 2015, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Kono Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform,

4896-430: The Income Doubling Plan. Targeted government investment in strategic manufacturing industries helped Japan move up the value chain and into high-tech and other higher-value-added goods. In 1962, French president Charles De Gaulle famously referred to Ikeda as "that transistor salesman," signalling that Japan was becoming more known for exporting electronics than for the cheap toys, bicycles, and textiles it had exported in

4998-409: The LDP's return to power after a brief interregnum. This made Kōchikai powerful enough to have Kōchikai member Yōhei Kōno elected LDP party president. However, in 1998, a fierce battle broke out between Kōno and fellow Kōchikai member Koichi Kato over who would succeed Miyazawa as head of Kōchikai, in what became known as the "KK War." Both men undermined each other, and although Katō ultimately "won"

5100-510: The LDP. One of the most moderate factions within the LDP, the Kōchikai faction has typically supported a dovish foreign policy, including diplomatic engagement, preservation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution forbidding Japan from having a military, and close relations with the United States . In terms of domestic policy, Kōchikai has tended to support moderate efforts to combat income inequality and expand or strengthen

5202-704: The National Civil Service System. Shortly after his appointment, Kono attempted to revive the My Number identification card system, established in 2016. Reportedly, the Kishida government aimed to have almost all residents obtain the card by March 2023; Kono said that health insurance cards would be phased out in 2024, and instead be merged with the My Number cards. The program had to be temporarily paused in May 2023 due to 13 confirmed cases of another person's information being displayed when

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5304-517: The U.S. Japan relationship, which had been damaged by the anti-American character of the anti-Treaty protests and the cancellation of Eisenhower's visit. He gave numerous reassurances to the U.S. government that he would staunchly support U.S. Cold War policies, including support for Taiwan and non-interaction with mainland China . He asked for, and was granted, a summit meeting with incoming U.S. president John F. Kennedy in Washington D.C. in

5406-591: The United States many times and made friends there. He has also had exchanges with American politicians. I'm sure he'll serve (as minister) with an understanding of how to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance". Prime Minister Abe has made it explicitly clear that by appointing Kono to the position of Foreign Minister, he was trying to strengthen the already formidable Japanese American alliance. Kono's appointment to Foreign Minister has also been well received by Japan's surrounding neighbors”. Some Foreign Ministry officials say

5508-474: The annual percentage change in GDP." Similarly, Japanese economist Takafusa Nakamura concluded that "Ikeda was the single most important figure in Japan's rapid [economic] growth. He will be remembered as the man who pulled together a national consensus for economic growth and who strove unceasingly for the realization of that goal." Taro Kono Taro Kono ( 河野 太郎 , Kōno Tarō , born 10 January 1963)

5610-405: The appointment of Kono will be viewed favorably by China and South Korea. Abe retained Kono again during his second reshuffle for his fourth cabinet. As the foreign minister at the time, he was considered a leading figure behind a trade dispute with South Korea although he was considered friendly with the country. He is also known as a leading figure of cancellation of Aegis ashore project. At

5712-424: The card was used. Mistakes attributed to human error that were made before Kono's tenure caused some 7,000 My Number accounts have been wrongly linked to other people’s data. In June 2023, a review of My Number data revealed that around 130,000 cards have been linked to the bank accounts of other people. Kono defended the system, and said he himself used a My Number card for his health insurance, but public trust in

5814-462: The dark, double-breasted suits and severe, wire-rimmed glasses he had worn prior to becoming prime minister for more approachable light, single-breasted suits and thick, plastic-rimmed glasses. Most dramatically of all, Ikeda announced his bold Income Doubling Plan , which promised to double the size of Japan's economy in just ten years' time, by 1970. Eschewing the usual 5-year economic plan, Ikeda set an extremely ambitious 10-year time frame, promising

5916-568: The early years, the group was nicknamed Ikeda's "brain trust" ( burēn ), and played a key role in formulating the Income Doubling Plan that propelled Ikeda to electoral victory in the 1960 general election and two terms as prime minister. During the Ikeda years, Kōchikai published policy papers by group members in the group's monthly in-house journal The Way Forward ( 進路 , Shinro ) . Following Ikeda's death in 1965, headship of

6018-419: The eldest son of House Speaker and LDP President Yōhei Kōno , Kono grew up in a political family. Originally planning to study economics in Japan, he dropped out to attend Georgetown University , where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in 1983. After working in the private sector for more than a decade, Kono was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 . In his career in

6120-559: The election cycle. He stated that this was an attempt to protect himself from online abuse. The hashtag "Blocked by Mr. Kono" was trending as a result. On 29 September, Kono made it into the second round run off with Fumio Kishida , and lost with 170 votes to Kishida's 257 votes. Kishida subsequently appointed Kono to be the LDP's Public Relations chief on 1 October 2021 and resigned from the cabinet 3 days later, ending his tenure as Minister for Administrative Reform. After Kishida became party president and eventually prime minister, he led

6222-552: The end of his tenure in September 2019, Kono made over 100 visits to 59 countries. On 11 September 2019, Kono was appointed Minister of Defense by Abe, joining his Fourth Cabinet in its second reshuffle. In November 2019, Kono met with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds , and consolidated a series of new measures designed to deepen the defense cooperation between both countries. Later that month, he visited an Indian Air Force Base in Hindan , Uttar Pradesh . His visit

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6324-437: The entire decade, with the economy achieving the goal of doubling its size in less than seven years. Perhaps even more importantly, according to Kapur, Ikeda's Income Doubling Plan "enshrined 'economic growthism' as a sort of secular religion of both the Japanese people and their government, bringing about a circumstance in which both the effectiveness of the government and the worth of the populace came to be measured above all by

6426-442: The faction passed to Maeo, but as Eisaku Satō won four consecutive terms as prime minister, younger members of the faction became dissatisfied with Maeo's leadership and finally voted him out in favor of Ōhira, in what became known as the "Ōhira coup" of 1971. Under Ōhira's adroit leadership, the faction grew rapidly. As Ōhira recruited new members, the percentage of Kōchikai members who were ex-bureaucrats gradually declined, reaching

6528-438: The faction while he serves as premier. The faction officially disbanded on January 23, 2024. By the political criteria of the LDP, which has embraced neoliberalism since the 1980s, Kōchikai is classified as one of the factions supporting welfare-friendly policies, in contrast to the economically liberal Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai . However, before the 1980s, Kōchikai's leading politicians supported free-market liberalism within

6630-499: The first official visit from the Chinese counterpart since November 2009. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited for several days during the leadup to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe's visit to President Trump later that month. Kono was the first Japanese FM to host an official Chinese FM visit for nearly a decade, Kono's past business, as well as political ties to the United States, make him very appealing to serve as Foreign Minister. Abe said of Kono appointment, "He has been to

6732-775: The government in August 2023. By then, there were 940 cases involving errors in which bank accounts were linked to the wrong ID cards. The PIPC later stated that “systematic safety management measures needed to be improved”, and ordered Kono to report back on measures taken to improve the system by October 2023. The Diplomat reported in October that just 29% of people who have used the country’s digital government services were satisfied with them. In September 2023, Kishida reshuffled his second cabinet again, retaining Kono in his role as Digital Minister. In September 2022, Kono "declared war" on floppy disks, as part of his efforts to modernize

6834-603: The government to refuse the entry of foreign ships from Japanese ports. His website states that " North Korea was the target." He also sponsored a United Nations Reform Bill that would have required the government to reduce its voluntary contributions to the UN Systems by 10 percent each year until changes were made in the membership of the Security Council. Kono resigned as head of the Kanagawa LDP following

6936-418: The government's approach to the crisis, claiming that it should be more cooperative with the Chinese government. After the 2017 general election , which delivered a fresh majority for the LDP in the House of Representatives, Abe retained Kono as Foreign Minister in his fourth cabinet . Late in the evening of 15 April 2018 in the flurry of exchanges after the tripartite missile strikes on Syria, Kono received

7038-426: The government. He said updated regulations would allow business owners and others to use online services instead. On 28 June 2024, Kono declared victory in the "war", announcing that the government had finally phased them out, and would no longer require them as a form of documentation. Up to 1,034 regulations were scrapped as part of the effort, leaving only 1 that remains in effect. Kono has also aimed to phase out

7140-610: The largest protests in Japan's modern history. Although Kishi was ultimately successful in ramming the revised treaty through the Diet , the size and violence of the protests that followed forced him to cancel a planned visit by U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower and resign in disgrace. Ikeda also inherited from Kishi a violent dispute at the Miike Coal Mine in Kyushu , where striking coal miners repeatedly clashed with right-wing thugs sent by their corporate overlords to break

7242-424: The next several decades, and paved the way for the decline of the opposition Japan Socialist Party. Ikeda's Income Doubling Plan also proved to be an astonishing success, helping greatly extend the lifespan of Japan's postwar " economic miracle ." Although the initial target growth rate of the plan was 7.2% per year, by the mid 1960s Japan's GDP growth rate reached as high as 11.6%, and averaged greater than 10% over

7344-400: The operation, at the age of 65. Ikeda's " Kōchikai " faction was one of the most powerful factions in the LDP, and occupied the left wing of the party. As faction leader, he was succeeded in turn by Shigesaburō Maeo , Masayoshi Ōhira , Zenkō Suzuki , Kiichi Miyazawa , Koichi Kato , Mitsuo Horiuchi , Makoto Koga , and Fumio Kishida . Historian Nick Kapur credits Ikeda with stabilizing

7446-468: The party the victory in the 2021 general election , with the LDP winning 261 seats. Kono himself performed well in his Kanagawa constituency, receiving nearly 80% of the vote, setting a new record for the most votes received under the single-seat constituency system. After the election, Kishida formed his second cabinet in November 2021, in which Kono was not a member. During this interlude, Kono became

7548-624: The party to join the Sunrise Party of Japan . In October 2015, Kono joined the Third Abe Cabinet as Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission , Minister in charge of Administrative Reform, Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Minister of State for Regulatory Reform and Minister of State for Disaster Management. In this role, he

7650-555: The party. That same day, Kono announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party Presidency in the subsequent 2021 leadership election . Japanese media reported that Kono was Suga's first choice for a successor. However, according to journalist Kenji Goto, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso , who led Kono's faction in the Diet, did not support Kono's candidacy, viewing it as too early. He faced backlash for blocking his critics on Twitter during

7752-412: The position. Commentator Michael Bosack described this post as a "downgrade" and "tantamount to a demotion," citing Kono's ambition to become prime minister as well as poor coordination of decisions with the party. The day after he took office, Kono opened a suggestion box for administrative reform on his official website.  Although he stated that he would "read everything" that was sent to him, he

7854-591: The project weakened. In July 2023, Kishida announced that the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) would conduct investigation into the Digital Agency, prompting Kono to apologize to the Diet. A report published found that 20% of local governments followed the wrong procedures when linking My Number with disability records. In response, Kono voluntarily returned three months worth of his cabinet salary to

7956-518: The recent protests, played an important role in settling the Miike Struggle , and oversaw the successful 1964 Olympic Games before resigning due to ill health. Ikeda was born on 3 December 1899, in Yoshina, Hiroshima Prefecture (present-day Takehara, Hiroshima ), the youngest child of Goichirō Ikeda and his wife Ume. He had six siblings. He attended Kyoto Imperial University and joined

8058-465: The request of Gunma Prefecture Governor Ichita Yamamoto , but there were also concerns that this would lead to an increase in the burden on each ministry and agency, an issue that Kono himself had raised. On 7 January 2021, Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo over the COVID-19 pandemic. 18 January 2021, Suga announced that Kono would be in charge of overseeing the Japanese administration of

8160-837: The return of resurgence of his chronic ulcerative colitis. In the subsequent leadership election , Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was elected succeed Abe as LDP President and Prime Minister. Suga and his cabinet were officially appointed on 16 September 2020, ending the Abe era that had spanned 8 years. Suga kept Kono in his cabinet, returning him to the position of Minister of State for Administrative Reform, while tapping Abe's younger brother Nobuo Kishi to succeed Kono as Defense Minister. The Nikkei described Kono as Suga's "point man for cutting red tape ," as Suga announced that government waste and sectionalism would be addressed by Kono's team. Suga used Kono’s new position as “drastic medicine” in an attempt to show his seriousness in

8262-632: The seats in the Diet to block the LDP's attempts at revising the Constitution. Ikeda contracted laryngeal cancer and was admitted to the National Cancer Center for treatment in September 1964, by which point the condition had progressed considerably. On 25 October, the day after the closing of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Ikeda announced his resignation. Hoping to avoid a vicious intra-party struggle to succeed him, Ikeda took

8364-431: The social safety net in ways consistent with fostering economic growth. Among the interest groups in the LDP's base, the Kōchikai faction tends to draw support from government bureaucrats, big business organizations, white-collar workers and other urban professionals, and small business owners. Kōchikai supports " modified capitalism " (a conservative form of Keynesian economic policy), and unlike other LDP factions, has

8466-441: The strike. Ikeda had been a compromise candidate to succeed Kishi, and had only secured the premiership by promising to call an immediate election, just a few months later in the fall of 1960. Given Ikeda's image as an unpopular politician out of touch with the common people and prone to verbal gaffes, few expected Ikeda to be anything more than a temporary placeholder prime minister. However, Ikeda surprised observers by undertaking

8568-555: The summer of 1961. At the summit, Ikeda reiterated his support for U.S. policy, and Kennedy promised to treat Japan more like a close ally such as Great Britain . Ikeda hoped to make up for Eisenhower's inability to visit Japan by hosting Kennedy in Tokyo, and Kennedy agreed. Plans were made for Kennedy to visit Japan in 1964, but he was assassinated before he could visit, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk went in his stead. Ikeda also relentlessly pushed Japanese trade abroad, in support of his goal to expand export-led economic growth under

8670-407: The third time in the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election , coming in eighth place. He subsequently resigned as Digital Affairs Minister and has since continued as a backbencher in the Diet. Kono has developed a reputation as a political maverick, with a tendency to hold positions on issues contrary to his party. Belonging to the conservative and centre-right Shikōkai faction, he

8772-503: The unusual step of personally designating Eisaku Satō as his successor. Ikeda's longstanding rival Ichirō Kōno respected his dying wish and declined to run for party president, clearing the way for Satō to succeed to the premiership. Although Ikeda was released from the hospital in December 1964, he underwent another operation at the University of Tokyo Hospital in August 1965. He died of pneumonia on 13 August, several days after

8874-627: The use of hanko stamps and fax machines in the government. The term of the LDP Presidency is set to expire in September 2024. In May 2023, Kono didn't rule out a run for the party presidency. Kono conveyed his desire to run for party leadership to LDP Vice President and his faction boss, Taro Aso , during dinner on 26 June 2024. Kono later said during a press conference that he had been waiting 28 years to become prime minister. Two days later, fellow centrist Shigeru Ishiba also voiced his intention to run for LDP President. On 2 July it

8976-506: The wake of the assassination, and in an attempt to regain trust from the public, Kishida reshuffled his second cabinet for the first time in August 2022. On 10 August 2022, Kono was appointed as the Minister for Digital Transformation (also known as the Minister of Digital Affairs). He was also concurrently appointed as the Minister of State for Digital Reform, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Minister of State for

9078-422: The war to become Kōchikai head, he became the first head of Kōchikai since Maeo not to become prime minister, and Kōno became the first LDP president ever not to become prime minister. The chaos caused by the vicious KK War and later schisms left Kōchikai weakened under the next two faction heads, Mitsuo Horiuchi (2001-2006) and Makoto Koga (2006-2012). However, the faction still remained powerful enough to play

9180-465: Was 186,770, the second largest number in Japan's electoral history (second only to then Prime Minister Koizumi's total in the same election). Kono has been a member of five standing committees of the House of Representatives: Economy; Environment; Health, Labour, & Welfare; Trade & Industry; and Finance. In addition, he has been a member of two special committees: Consumer Affairs, and Children & Youth Affairs.From January to October 2002, Kono

9282-537: Was Parliamentary Secretary for Public Management, responsible for administrative reforms, local governments, and "e-government." From November 2005 to September 2006 he was Senior Vice Minister of Justice in Koizumi's government. In October 2002, Kono was named Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. He resigned from this position two months later in protest over

9384-422: Was a member of a rival political faction but was seen as more trustworthy by labor unions. He immediately dispatched Ishida to negotiate a compromise between the miners and Mitsui corporation, which owned the mine, and Ishida succeeded in getting the two sides to agree to binding arbitration, finally bringing an end to the year-long Miike Struggle in December 1960. Ikeda also placed a high priority on repairing

9486-563: Was able to win a second term as prime minister. Now he was powerful enough to take on the factional rivalries that had nearly torn the LDP apart during the Security Treaty Crisis. Ikeda took a number of steps to tame intra-party factional infighting, including appointing an "All-Faction Cabinet" with members from enemy factions, and bringing his bitter rival Ichirō Kōno into his government as Agriculture Minister, Construction Minister, and finally Minister in charge of planning

9588-773: Was also elected Prefectural Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party in Kanagawa Prefecture. He was the youngest Prefectural Chairman in the LDP. In 2005, he led the Party in Kanagawa in the general election. In 2004, Kono co-sponsored the Economic Sanction Amendment to the Foreign Exchange Law, which gives the government power to unilaterally declare economic sanctions on any state; and the Port Closure Bill, which allows

9690-574: Was announced that the full relocation of the Consumer Affairs Agency would be postponed. He left government amidst a cabinet reshuffle in August 2016. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , named Kono Foreign Minister on 3 August 2017, replacing Fumio Kishida , who had served in that role since 2012 and had rarely publicly disagreed with Abe. Kono was chosen over Katsunobu Kato , after lengthy deliberation, for his superior English ability and his grasp of international issues, despite having

9792-575: Was appointed Minister of Finance on 16 February 1949 by Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida , and on 7 March announced the Dodge Line monetary policy with American occupation advisor Joseph Dodge . He visited the United States in 1950 to begin preparations for U.S.–Japan security cooperation following the end of the occupation. In 1951, he oversaw the formation of the Development Bank of Japan and Japan Bank for International Cooperation . In

9894-513: Was elected president of the LDP and became Prime Minister in July 1960, at an extremely difficult moment in Japanese domestic politics and U.S.-Japan relations . Ikeda's immediate predecessor as prime minister, Nobusuke Kishi , had disastrously mishandled his attempt to revise the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty (known as Anpo in Japanese), leading to the massive 1960 Anpo protests , which were

9996-506: Was part of the inaugural foreign and defense ministerial dialogue between India and Japan, which aimed to give further momentum to their special strategic partnership. In January 2020, Kono stated that "Japan and the United States should speed up efforts to resolve the issue of undelivered and unsettled arms purchases", referring to the Aegis Ashore system Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , Kono celebrated

10098-480: Was reported by the Yukan Fuji that Shinjiro Koizumi , another centrist long considered a potential prime minister, was considering running. On 10 August, Kono again conveyed his desire to run to Aso. He reportedly told him he would run with or without his support. On 14 August, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he would not seek a second term as LDP President, making the race an open field. By 17 August, it

10200-406: Was reported that Kono had secured the 20 endorsements to announce his own campaign. Kōno officially declared his candidacy in a press conference held on 26 August in Tokyo. He became the first sitting Cabinet minister to announce. In his press conference, he stated he wanted to "move the country forward" as leader. Kono also acknowledged that his "record on reform" would be put to the test during

10302-500: Was responsible for coordinating security measures for the 2016 G7 summit , held in May 2016. He promoted the relocation of the Consumer Affairs Agency to Tokushima Prefecture ,  but postponed the full relocation due to the difficulty in carrying out duties such as responding to Diet meetings and crisis management. After Kono stepped down as Minister of Consumer Affairs, after three years of consideration, it

10404-495: Was so inundated with comments that he suspended it the next day. He re-established the suggestion box on the Cabinet Office website on 25 September as the "Regulatory Reform and Administrative Reform Hotline" so that comments would be sent via the government, but the volume of comments did not stop, and he suspended accepting comments again on 27 November. One comment was the complete free use of highways for ambulances, at

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