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born 3 August 1939 is a former politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and is former chairperson of the Party for Future Generations.
Hiranuma attended Azabu High School and Keio University, and worked in the private sector at Nitto Boseki from 1962 to 1973. He left to become a political aide for Ichiro Nakagawa and Eisaku Satō. He then ran for a seat in the House of Representatives twice and failed, but was finally elected in 1980 as a member of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party.
Hiranuma served as vice minister for the ministry of finance in 1987 and minister of transport in 1995.
Hiranuma was made minister of international trade and industry in July 2000. The ministry was renamed Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in January 2001.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reappointed Hiranuma to head METI in April 2001, breaking party custom by not seeking permission of Hiranuma's faction leaders Shizuka Kamei and Takami Eto. Hiranuma retained his post in the cabinet reshuffle of September 2002, becoming the longest-serving trade minister of Japan in postwar period. Under the Koizumi government, Hiranuma came into conflict with Heizo Takenaka, an economist appointed to the Cabinet to promote Japanese economic revitalization. Hiranuma orchestrated a government bailout of the Daiei supermarket chain in 2003 over Takenaka's objections.
Hiranuma was fired in August 2005 when he refused to support Koizumi's plans to privatize Japan Post. He was not endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party in the 2005 general election, but was nonetheless reelected.
On 10 April 2010, Hiranuma, Ishihara and several other politicians established a new political party, the Sunrise Party of Japan. This party merged with the Japan Restoration Party on 17 November 2012. Hiranuma was one of a number of politicians who subsequently left the Japan Restoration Party to form the Party for Future Generations on 1 August 2014, but was one of only two members of this party to win a seat in the 2014 general election.
Hiranuma rejoined the Liberal Democratic Party on 25 September 2015. He announced in September 2017 that he would not run in the 2017 general election, signaling his retirement from politics.
In 2006, he argued against the proposed imperial reform bill on the grounds that Princess Aiko could potentially marry and have children with a "blue-eyed foreigner" in the future. Female on throne could marry foreigner, Hiranuma warns Japan Times 2 February 2006 Rally against Japan royals change BBC At a public rally organized by Nippon Kaigi, he stated that Japan's "unbroken male line for 125 generations" was "the precious, precious treasure of the Japanese race, as well as a world treasure."
During a 2009 speech, Hiranuma criticized diet member Renhō's support of budget cuts to Japan's supercomputer program by insinuating that she may not have Japan's best interests at heart because she is not a Japanese national by birth. Gaffe-prone Hiranuma refers to Renho as 'not originally Japanese' The Japan Times
Third party activities
As early as 2000, both Hiranuma and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara had publicly proposed creating a "conservative urban party" that would effectively split the LDP into two parties, one representing urban interests and one representing rural interests.
Personal life
Hiranuma married Masako Tokugawa, a great-granddaughter of Tokugawa Yoshinobu and a niece of Princess Takamatsu. His son, Shōjirō Hiranuma, was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2021 general election.
Controversial statements
Following a downgrade of Japan's sovereign credit rating by Moody's in 2002, Hiranuma stated that ''Half of the people of Botswana are AIDS patients... It is outrageous that rating is lower than such a country.'' He later apologized for the statements.
Honours
External links
Categories: 1939 Births, Living People, People From Shibuya, Government Ministers Of Japan, Keio University Alumni, North Korean Abductions Of Japanese Citizens, Nanjing Massacre Deniers, Japanese Anti-communists, Japanese Nationalists, Conservatism In Japan, Politicians From Tokyo, Liberal Democratic Party Politicians, Sunrise Party Politicians, Japan Restoration Party Politicians, Party For Japanese Kokoro Politicians, Members Of Nippon Kaigi, Grand Cordons Of The Order Of The Rising Sun, Ministers Of Economy, Trade And Industry Of Japan, Members Of The House Of Representatives 2003–2005, Members Of The House Of Representatives 2005–2009, Members Of The House Of Representatives 2009–2012, Members Of The House Of Representatives 2012–2014, Members Of The House Of Representatives 2014–2017, Takeo
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