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Yasutoshi Nishimura

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Yasutoshi Nishimura (西村 康稔, Nishimura Yasutoshi, born October 15, 1962) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from August 2022 until December 2023.[2] Nishimura previously served as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2003, representing Hyogo's 9th district.[3]

Yasutoshi Nishimura
西村 康稔
Official portrait, 2019
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
In office
10 August 2022 – 14 December 2023
Prime MinisterFumio Kishida
Preceded byKoichi Hagiuda
Succeeded byKen Saito[1]
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
In office
11 September 2019 – 4 October 2021
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Yoshihide Suga
Preceded byToshimitsu Motegi
Succeeded byDaishiro Yamagiwa
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 November 2003
Preceded byIchizō Miyamoto
ConstituencyHyōgo 9th
Personal details
Born (1962-10-15) 15 October 1962 (age 62)
Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
Alma materUniversity of Tokyo

Nishimura resigned from his cabinet posts in December 2023 amid allegations of a slush fund involving himself and several other ministers and members of the LDP.[4]

Early life and career

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Nishimura with Urmas Paet (January 31, 2014)
 
Nishimura with Shinzō Abe (October 29, 2019)

A native of Akashi, Hyōgo and a relative of Akira Fukida, a former Minister of Home Affairs, Nishimura graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law in 1985.[5]

Nishimura joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1985 and graduated from Graduate School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland in 1992[5] while in the ministry. In 2003 he was elected for the first time as an independent after running unsuccessfully in 2000. He later joined the LDP.[6]

Nishimura was running for the LDP presidential elections which was held September 28, 2009, and came in third after Sadakazu Tanigaki, who was elected, and Kōno Tarō.[7][8] In the 2021 presidential election, Nishimura was the lead sponsor for Sanae Takaishi.[9]

Nishimura also served as acting director, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Division of LDP, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Fukuda Cabinet), Deputy Chairman, Policy Research Council of LDP, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of LDP's Shadow Cabinet, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office.[10]

Since September 2019, Nishimura is serving as minister for economic and fiscal policy; economic revitalization; social security reform; the Trans-Pacific Partnership;[11] and as minister for COVID-19 pandemic response from March 2020 until October 2021.[12]

On 8 July 2021, Nishimura announced the government would seek financial institutions "to lobby [their] customers that operate bars and restaurants to comply with government requests to temporarily close" and possibly to withhold loans to holdouts,[13] as well as to request beverage wholesale companies to stop trading with such businesses.[14] The government retracted the policy a day later, however,[15] with the chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato stating "he had instructed Nishimura to be more careful about what he says during news conferences".[13]

In 2013, Nishimura has denied the accusation that he used a prostitute during his 2012 visit to Vietnam.[16][17]

In August 2021, Nishimura became the first Suga cabinet minister to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that enshrine the WWII war criminals.[18] The visit was made the day after his remarks urging people to stay-at-home orders during the Obon season [19] amid COVID-19 Delta surge across Japan.[18] On 1 October 2021, Nishimura announced that Japan will likely becoming a living with COVID-19 endemic phase.

Prior to the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Nishimura has stated to push for restarts of more than 10 nuclear reactors.[20] Nishimura said the government will keep its stakes in Sakhalin-II,[21] one of the world’s largest integrated and export-oriented oil and gas projects, owned by Gazprom, Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi.[22]

In June 2022, Nishimura was criticized for hosting on his official website for 10 years a gallery of street photography of women, apparently without their consent, titled "Picture book of beauties from around the world."[23] Nishimura's August 2022 visit to Yasukuni became the first from the Kishida cabinet.[24]

Slush fund scandal

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Main article: 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal

In November 2023, prosecutors began voluntarily questioning members of several factions of the LDP, including the largest faction of which Nishimura was a member, on suspicion of receiving slush fund money in the form of revenues from fundraising parties totaling over ¥100 million that had not been reported in political funding statements.[25] News media reported the following month, citing sources, that Nishimura was suspected to have received unreported payments.[25] On 9 December 2023, it was reported that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was preparing to replace Nishimura in his Cabinet.[26] On 14 December, Nishimura and several others resigned from their cabinet posts.[4]

Ideology

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Nishimura is affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi,[27] He advocates its main causes, which are: the revision of the constitution, the right for collective self-defense (revision of Article 9), visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.[28]

Nishimura is also a member of several right-wing Diet groups, including:

  • Nippon Kaigi Diet discussion group (日本会議国会議員懇談会, Nippon kaigi kokkai giin kondankai)
  • Conference of parliamentarians on the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会, Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai) - NB: SAS a.k.a. Sinseiren, Shinto Political League
  • (as the chairman) Committee for promoting the reform of the Fundamental Education Law (教育基本法改正促進委員会, Kyouiku kihonhou kaisei sokushin iinkai)
  • Japan Rebirth (創生「日本」, Sosei Nippon)
  • Alliance of Diet Members for Acting Toward the Fast Rescue of Japanese Victims Kidnapped by North Korea (北朝鮮に拉致された日本人を早期に救出するために行動する議員連盟, Kita Chousen ni rachi sareta Nipponjin wo souki kyuushutsu suru tame ni koudou suru giin renmei)
  • Conference of young parliamentarians supporting the idea that the Yasukuni Shrine is a true national interest and desire for peace (平和を願い真の国益を考え靖国神社参拝を支持する若手国会議員の会)
  • Parliamentary League for Protecting the Safety and Security of All Women and Ensuring Fairness in Women's Sports (全ての女性の安心・安全と女子スポーツの公平性等を守る議員連盟)

References

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  1. ^ "Embattled Japan PM Kishida ousts LDP's most powerful faction from Cabinet".
  2. ^ "List of Ministers (The Cabinet) | Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet". japan.kantei.go.jp. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  3. ^ "衆議院議員 西村 康稔（にしむら やすとし） | 議員". 自由民主党 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  4. ^ a b "Japan PM Kishida to replace 4 Cabinet ministers amid funds scandal". Kyodo News. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b The Cabinet / NISHIMURA Yasutoshi / Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, Minister in charge Economic Revitalization, Minister in charge of Social Security Reform, Minister in charge of Trans-Pacific Partnership
  6. ^ "国会議員情報：西村 康稔（にしむら やすとし）：時事ドットコム". 時事ドットコム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  7. ^ "自民党総裁選がスタート、谷垣、河野、西村3氏が立候補届け出 写真3枚 国際ニュース：AFPBB News". www.afpbb.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  8. ^ "自民党の歴史 | 自民党について". 自由民主党 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  9. ^ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2021-09-17). "【総裁選ドキュメント】西村氏、高市氏支持表明". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  10. ^ Nishimura Yasutoshi profile on LDP website: jimin.jp/english/profile/members/114731.html (retrieved Dec 12, 2014)
  11. ^ "The Cabinet: NISHIMURA Yasutoshi". Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  12. ^ "西村やすとし オフィシャルサイト". yasutoshi.jp. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  13. ^ a b "COVID-19 proposal for bars withdrawn after furor erupts | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  14. ^ "Japan retracts controversial policy to pressure restaurants to stop serving alcohol". The Japan Times. 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  15. ^ 吉川慧 (2021-07-09). "西村氏｢酒提供店に金融機関から働きかけ｣ 発言、与党幹部からも苦言→一日で撤回【UPDATE】". www.businessinsider.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  16. ^ "安倍政権の火種、自民党幹部に相次ぐ売春疑惑…1回20分×2でお値段4万円？". ビジネスジャーナル/Business Journal | ビジネスの本音に迫る. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  17. ^ "週刊誌"買春疑惑"西村副大臣「事実ではない」". テレ朝news (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  18. ^ a b "Minister Nishimura visits war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo". Mainichi Daily News. 2021-08-13. Archived from the original on 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  19. ^ "西村経済再生相が靖国神社を参拝 菅内閣の現職閣僚で初：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 13 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  20. ^ "New economy minister eyes restarts of more nuclear reactors | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  21. ^ "Japan's new industry minister vows to boost use of nuclear power amid energy challenges". The Japan Times. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  22. ^ "Sakhalin-2 – an overview". www.shell.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  23. ^ "Japan ex-minister's 'world beauties' photo collection on his website draws fire". Mainichi Daily News. 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  24. ^ "Japan Minister Nishimura Visits Yasukuni Shrine: Kyodo". Bloomberg.com. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  25. ^ a b "Top spokesman accused of not reporting 10 mil. yen in income: source". Kyodo News. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  26. ^ "Japan's prime minister to replace chief cabinet secretary-report". Reuters. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  27. ^ Nippon Kaigi website
  28. ^ Yasutoshi website: yasutoshi.jp/activity/?id=1253797203 (retrieved Dec 12, 2014)
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
2022–2023 		Succeeded by
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