Naoto Kan
 | This article may be affected by a current event. Information in this article may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (June 2010) |
Naoto Kan 菅 直人 | |
|---|---|
 Kan in 2007. | |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 6 January 2010 – __ June 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Hirohisa Fujii |
| Succeeded by | To be appointed (on 8 June 2010 or later) |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – __ June 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant last held by Wataru Kubo |
| Succeeded by | To be appointed (on 8 June 2010 or later) |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – __ June 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Yoshimasa Hayashi |
| Succeeded by | To be appointed (on 8 June 2010 or later) |
| Minister of State in charge of National Strategy | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – 7 January 2010 | |
| Preceded by | New title |
| Succeeded by | Yoshito Sengoku |
| Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – 7 January 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Seiko Noda |
| Succeeded by | Tatsuo Kawabata |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 11 January 1996 – 7 November 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Chūryō Morii |
| Succeeded by | Junichiro Koizumi |
| Member of the Japanese House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 22 June 1980 | |
| Constituency | 18th Tokyo District |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1946 Ube, Japan |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Nobuko Kan (1970–present) |
| Children | Gentarō Kan Shinjirō Kan |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
| Website | Official website |
Naoto Kan (菅 直人 Kan Naoto, born 10 October 1946) is the Prime Minister-designate of Japan.[3] In June 2010, as Finance Minister,[4] Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and was designated by the Diet to be Prime Minister, in each instance to succeed Yukio Hatoyama.[5]
Early life and education
Born in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture as the son of a businessman, Kan graduated in 1970 from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Career
Kan opened a patent office in 1974. He actively engaged in civic grassroots movements for years and also served as a election campaign staff for Fusae Ichikawa, renowned Women's rights activist in Japan.[6]
Kan achieved a seat in the lower house in 1980 as a member of Socialist Democratic Federation. He gained national-wide popularity in 1996, when serving as the Minister of Health, admitting government's responsibility for the spread of HIV-tainted blood in 1980s and directly apologized to victims. At that time, he was a member of a small party forming the ruling coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). His frank action was completely unprecedented and was applauded by the media and the public.
In 1998, his image was affected by allegations of an affair, vigorously denied by both parties, with a television newscaster and media consultant, Yūko Tonomoto.[7] After Yukio Hatoyama resigned as the leader of the party (Democratic Party of Japan, DPJ), Kan again took over the position. In July 2003, the DPJ and the Liberal Party led by Ichirō Ozawa agreed to form a uniformed opposition party to prepare for the general election that was anticipated to take place in the fall.
During the campaign of the election of 2003, the DPJ called the election as the choice of the government between the ruling LDP-bloc and the DPJ, with Kan being presented as the alternative candidate to then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. His face was used as the trademark of the campaign against the LDP.
However, in 2004, Kan was accused of unpaid annuities and forced to again resign the position of leader. On May 10, 2004, he officially announced his resignation and made the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Later, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare spokesman apologized, saying the the unpaid record was due to an administrative error.
In mid-October 2005, Kan, who turned 60 in 2006, proposed the creation of a new political party to be called the "Dankai (baby boomer) Party." The initial intent of the party was to offer places of activity for the Japanese baby boomers – 2.7 million of whom began to retire en masse in 2007.
He believes the Japan Self-Defense Forces should play a more prominent role on the international stage.[8]
Finance Minister
On January 6, 2010, he was picked by Yukio Hatoyama to be the new Finance Minister, assuming the post in addition to deputy prime minister.[9] In his first news conference, Kan announced his priority was stimulating growth and took the unusual step of naming a specific dollar-yen level as optimal to help exporters and stimulate the economy. "There are a lot of voices in the business world saying that (the dollar) around ¥95 is appropriate in terms of trade," he said.[10] Hatoyama appeared to rebuke Kan. "When it comes to foreign exchange, stability is desirable and rapid moves are undesirable. The government basically shouldn't comment on foreign exchange," he told reporters.[11]
Prime Minister
 | It has been suggested that Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election, 2010 be merged into this article. (Discuss) |
On 2 June 2010, Yukio Hatoyama announced his will to resign as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and as Prime Minister, also saying that he had urged his backer in the party Ichiro Ozawa to resign as Secretary General.[12][13] The Cabinet resigned en masse on the morning of 4 June.[12] Foreign minister Katsuya Okada and Land and Transport Minister Seiji Maehara, though once considered to be possible successors to Hatoyama, announced their support for Naoto Kan.[14] Kan, at his age of 63, won the leadership of the DPJ with 291 votes to 129, defeating a relatively unknown Ozawa-backed legislator Shinji Tarutoko, 50,[12][15] who was leading the environmental policy committee in the lower house of the Diet.[16]
Subsequently on 4 June, Kan was designated as Prime Minister by the Diet.[17] The Constitution of Japan provides that Prime Minister shall be designated from among the members of the Diet by a resolution of the Diet, and that the Emperor shall appoint the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet. Kan is expected to be appointed as Japan's 94th Prime Minister by Emperor Akihito.
Family
He married his wife Nobuko in 1970. They are cousins to each other.[18] They have two sons, Gentarō and Shinjirō. Gentaro is a civil right activist and lost in elections for the Lower House in 2003 and 2005. Shinjiro is a veterinarian and works at an animal hospital in Nerima, Tokyo.[19]
His hobbies are go, shogi and mahjong.[20] Kan built a machine to calculate the complicated mahjong point system and applied for a patent in 1973.[21]
Kan has earned the nicknames 'Ira-Kan' or 'Fretful-Kan' due to his reputed short temper.
References
- ^ "NEWSMAKER – Japan's Kan would be more pragmatic premier". Mainichi Daily News. 2010-6-4. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "Japan Taps Successor to Ailing Finance Chief". Wall Street Journal. 2010-1-7. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "PM-elect Kan's formation of Cabinet may be delayed until next week". Mainichi Daily News. 2010-6-4. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "Kan elected prime minister to replace Hatoyama". Mainichi Daily News. 2010-6-4. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ "Diet votes in Kan as prime minister". Japan Times. 2010-6-4. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ All things have finally come to veteran who waited, Japan Times, June 5, 2010
- ^ Landers, Peter (February 4, 1999). "Dream Deffered". Far Eastern Economic Review. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|name=ignored (help) - ^ "Power Players: Naoto Kan". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2010-6-4.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|name=(help) - ^ McCallum, Kenneth (January 6, 2010). "Kan to Take Over as Japanese Finance Chief". wsj.com. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ^ Takashi Nakamichi (January 7, 2010). "Kan Calls for Weaker Yen". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ Nakamichi, Takashi (January 8, 2010). "New Japan Minister Starts Talking Yen Down". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c Finance Chief Chosen as Next Japanese Leader, by Martin Fackler, The New York Times, 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
- ^ Ozawa's resignation at strong urging of PM will lessen his influence on DPJ, The Mainichi Daily News, 2 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20100603D03EE230.htm
- ^ "＜民主党＞新代表に菅直人氏 首相就任へ（毎日新聞） – Yahoo!ニュース" (in Japanese). Headlines.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE65205020100603
- ^ "Kan elected prime minister". Asahi Shimbun. 4 June 2010.
- ^ 基礎からわかる 菅直人, Yomiuri Shimbun, Template:Ja icon
- ^ ヒラミ動物病院Template:Ja icon
- ^ http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100605-220351.html
- ^ Japan's Premier Aims for Longer Stay, Wall Street Journal, JUNE 4, 2010
External links
| Empire of Japan, 1868–1947 |
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| State of Japan, 1947–present |
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Leaders of the Group of Seven | |
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1 President is a non-participant; Taiwan is represented as Chinese Taipei. |
