Yūko Obuchi
Yuuko Obuchi 小渕 優子 | |
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Member of the Japanese Parliament for Gunma 5th district | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 2000 | |
Preceded by | Keizō Obuchi |
Personal details | |
Born | Tokyo, Japan | December 11, 1973
Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
Alma mater | Seijo University |
Yuuko Obuchi (小渕 優子 Obuchi Yūko, born December 11, 1973 in Bunkyō, Tokyo) is a Japanese politician. She is a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party. She briefly served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry during the Abe Government, but was forced to resign.
A graduate of Seijo University which has produced many actors and television personalities, Obuchi worked at the broadcaster TBS from 1996 to 1998. She was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000, winning her father's former Diet seat when he died shortly after suffering a stroke while in office. Her father is former prime minister Keizō Obuchi and her grandfather former member of the House of Representatives Mitsuhei Obuchi.
On September 24, 2008, Obuchi was appointed Minister of State for Social Affairs and Gender Equality in the cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso. This made her Japan's youngest cabinet member in the post-war era.[1] Her party was out of office from September, 2009 until December 2012. In December 2012, she was appointed Vice Minister of Finance by the new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and on 3 September, 2014, she was made Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in Abe's cabinet.[2]As such, she became the minister responsible for the nuclear industry in Japan, with partial responsibility for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster clean-up.
Resignation
Obuchi resigned from her position as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry on October 19, 2014, amid allegations of abuse of donation funds.[3] Her departure has been seen as a blow to the Shinzo Abe administration.[4]
References
- ↑ "Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2", The Yomiuri Shimbun, 25 September 2008.
- ↑ "‘Daddy’s girl’ Obuchi to oversee nuclear industry", The Japan Times, 4 September 2014.
- ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29684631
- ↑ http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/17/uk-japan-politics-resignation-idUKKCN0I62AW20141017
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
House of Representatives of Japan | ||
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Preceded by Keizō Obuchi |
Representative for Gunma's 5th district 2000 – |
Incumbent |