Sadakazu Tanigaki
Encyclopedia
is a conservative Japan
ese politician who served as Minister of Finance
from 2003 to 2006, in the cabinet of Jun'ichirō Koizumi
. He also served as Minister of Construction and Transport in the cabinet of Yasuo Fukuda
and is serving his ninth term as a member of the House of Representatives
, representing Kyoto
's Fifth District. He was elected as President of the Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP) on September 28, 2009, following the party's massive defeat in the 2009 general election
. He is only the second LDP leader who is not simultaneously Prime Minister of Japan
.
and attended Azabu High School
. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo
in 1974, and worked as a secretary for his father, who was Minister of Education. He went on to pass the Japanese bar examination in 1979, specializing in tax law, and he registered as an attorney in 1982 after completing his legal training.
, died in 1983. Tanigaki moved to Kyoto to run for his father's seat.
He briefly headed the Science and Technology Agency in 1997. Under Prime Minister Koizumi, he served in a number of positions, including the Financial Reconstruction Commission, the National Public Safety Commission, and ultimately as Minister of Finance
from September 22, 2003 to September 26, 2006. Since 2002, Tanigaki has led a minor faction in the Liberal Democratic Party
, formerly part of the Kochikai faction, with 11 members in the lower house and 4 in the upper house.
Tanigaki declared his candidacy for the LDP presidency on July 28, 2006, but came in third place in a three-way race against Shinzō Abe
and Tarō Asō
. Tanigaki was viewed as the "moderate" candidate in the race, mainly due to his foreign policy views: unlike Abe and Asō, he stated that he would not continue visits to Yasukuni Shrine
if he became prime minister, which made him a more attractive candidate among LDP leaders who sought better relations with China
and Korea
.
On September 24, 2007, Tanigaki was named chief policymaker of the LDP
by newly-elected party president Yasuo Fukuda
. He was subsequently appointed as Minister of Construction and Transport on August 1, 2008.
On September 28, 2009, he was chosen by his party as LDP leader to replace former Prime Minister Tarō Asō
.
On October 19th, 2009, he visited the contentious Yasukuni shrine
, despite his earlier promise to the contrary. The shrine, namely during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has attracted much controversy due to its adoration and honoring of soldiers that fought for the Empire of Japan
– many of whom are notorious war criminals. The People's Republic of China
and Republic of Korea have frequently reprimanded visits to the place of worship by Japanese statesmen.
Tanigaki in January 2011 pronounced his commitment to avoid multiparty talks on social welfare and tax reform with the opposition. He has also frequently condemned the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan
for advocating for a rise in the sales taxes by 5 percent, in spite of the enormous, problematic federal deficit.
To gain a potential legislative LDP-coalition majority, he attempted an unsuccessful no-confidence motion against Naoto Kan
in June 2011.http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/kan-to-face-no-confidence-motion-in-diet, after refusing Kan's earlier offers of a grand coalition
.
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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 who served as Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Japan)
The is the member of the Cabinet of Japan in charge of the Ministry of Finance. This position was formerly cited as being Japan's most powerful and one of the world's, because Japan had historically held the largest foreign exchange reserves...
from 2003 to 2006, in the cabinet of Jun'ichirō 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...
. He also served as Minister of Construction and Transport in the cabinet of 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....
and is serving his ninth term as 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,...
, representing Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
's Fifth District. He was elected as President 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) on September 28, 2009, following the party's massive defeat in the 2009 general election
Japanese general election, 2009
A general election in Japan was held on August 30, 2009, for all 480 seats of the House of Representatives of Japan, the lower house of the Diet of Japan....
. He is only the second LDP leader who is not simultaneously 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...
.
Early life
Tanigaki was born in FukuchiyamaFukuchiyama, Kyoto
is a city located in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, on the Yura River. It is about 25 km inland from the Sea of Japan at the southern end of the Fukuchiyama Valley, and is surrounded by mountains to the south, west, and east....
and attended Azabu High School
Azabu High School
, referred to as "Azabu," is a private preparatory day school in Japan. It teaches boys between seventh and twelves grades. The campus of Azabu is located in the Azabu district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan...
. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
in 1974, and worked as a secretary for his father, who was Minister of Education. He went on to pass the Japanese bar examination in 1979, specializing in tax law, and he registered as an attorney in 1982 after completing his legal training.
Political career
Tanigaki was prepared for a legal career after close to ten years of study, but his father, who represented the second district in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, died in 1983. Tanigaki moved to Kyoto to run for his father's seat.
He briefly headed the Science and Technology Agency in 1997. Under Prime Minister Koizumi, he served in a number of positions, including the Financial Reconstruction Commission, the National Public Safety Commission, and ultimately as Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Japan)
The is the member of the Cabinet of Japan in charge of the Ministry of Finance. This position was formerly cited as being Japan's most powerful and one of the world's, because Japan had historically held the largest foreign exchange reserves...
from September 22, 2003 to September 26, 2006. Since 2002, Tanigaki has led a minor faction in 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...
, formerly part of the Kochikai faction, with 11 members in the lower house and 4 in the upper house.
Tanigaki declared his candidacy for the LDP presidency on July 28, 2006, but came in third place in a three-way race against Shinzō Abe
Shinzo Abe
was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007...
and Tarō Asō
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
. Tanigaki was viewed as the "moderate" candidate in the race, mainly due to his foreign policy views: unlike Abe and Asō, he stated that he would not continue visits to Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is 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...
if he became prime minister, which made him a more attractive candidate among LDP leaders who sought better relations with China
Sino-Japanese relations
China and Japan are geographically separated only by a relatively narrow stretch of ocean. China has strongly influenced Japan with its writing system, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law...
and Korea
Japan-Korea relations
Korea-Japan relations are the relations between Korea and Japan. In a modern context, these relations pertain to three states: Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. Japan and Korea have had cultural interactions for over a thousand years and direct political contact almost as long...
.
On September 24, 2007, Tanigaki was named chief policymaker of the LDP
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...
by newly-elected party president 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....
. He was subsequently appointed as Minister of Construction and Transport on August 1, 2008.
On September 28, 2009, he was chosen by his party as LDP leader to replace former Prime Minister Tarō Asō
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
.
On October 19th, 2009, he visited the contentious Yasukuni shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is 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...
, despite his earlier promise to the contrary. The shrine, namely during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has attracted much controversy due to its adoration and honoring of soldiers that fought for the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
– many of whom are notorious war criminals. The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Republic of Korea have frequently reprimanded visits to the place of worship by Japanese statesmen.
Tanigaki in January 2011 pronounced his commitment to avoid multiparty talks on social welfare and tax reform with the opposition. He has also frequently condemned the left-leaning Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
for advocating for a rise in the sales taxes by 5 percent, in spite of the enormous, problematic federal deficit.
To gain a potential legislative LDP-coalition majority, he attempted an unsuccessful no-confidence motion against Naoto Kan
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
in June 2011.http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/kan-to-face-no-confidence-motion-in-diet, after refusing Kan's earlier offers of a grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
.
Personality
Tanigaki sleeps early and arises early. He engages in stretching exercises and goes on long distance bicycle rides on the weekends to relieve stress. Tanigaki also enjoys mountain climbing and wine.External links
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