is a Japanese politician who served as

President of the House of Councillors The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The President is elected by members of the Ho ...

from 2013 to 2016. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has served as a member of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...

in the

National Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (Japan), House of Councillors (, ...

since 1992.

Overview

Masaaki Yamazaki and Urmas Paet 20140721 2

A native of Nishitani-mura in

Ōno, Fukui is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 33,640 in 11,747 households and the population density of 39 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . The town is encircled by a ring of mountains ...

, Yamazaki graduated the

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice (Japan), Minister of Justice, in 1889. ...

School of Law. He served in the city assembly of

Ōno ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * ...

for one term since 1975 and then in the assembly of

Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 778,943 (1 June 2017) and has a geographic area of 4,190 km2 (1,617 sq mi). Fukui Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the north, Gi ...

for four terms since 1979. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1992. Yamazaki also served as Parliamentary Secretary for Finance (Hashimoto Cabinet), Deputy Secretary-General of LDP, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Koizumi Cabinet), Secretary-General for the LDP in the House of Councillors. Toshiaki Yamazaki is his eldest son.

Ideology

On April 21, 2014 Yamazaki sent a ritual offering to

Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...

, with a wooden sign showing "President of the House of Councillors Masaaki Yamazaki" next to the one with "Prime Minister

Shinzō Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...

". Like Abe, Yamazaki is in favor of the revision of the constitution. Both Yamazaki and Abe are affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby

Nippon Kaigi The Right side up ...

, which supports visits and tributes to this controversial shrine, and a restoration of monarchy and militarism. Yamazaki is a member of the following

right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...

Diet groups: *Nippon Kaigi Diet discussion group (日本会議国会議員懇談会 - Nippon kaigi kokkai giin kondankai) *Diet Celebration League of the 20th Anniversary of His Majesty The Emperor's Accession to the Throne (天皇陛下御即位二十年奉祝国会議員連盟) *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

Honours

* : Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

(29 October 2014)Decoraties Staatsbezoeken Japan en Republiek Korea
- website of the Dutch Royal House

References

External links

* in Japanese. {{DEFAULTSORT:Yamazaki, Masaaki Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) 1942 births Living people Members of Nippon Kaigi People from Ōno, Fukui Politicians from Fukui Prefecture Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Nihon University alumni Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)