is a Japanese politician and member of the

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

. Kaneko served as

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries may refer to: * Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Cambodia) * Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan) * Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Niue) * Depart ...

from October 2021 to August 2022. He has also represented the Nagasaki At-large district in the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

since his election in the July 2010 Councillors election. Kaneko is a native of

Ikitsuki, Nagasaki was a List of towns in Japan, town on the island of the same name located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 7,392 and a population density, ...

and graduate of

Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...

Political career

Kaneko first entered public office as a member of the Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly in 1975. He resigned during his third term in the assembly in 1983 to contest the national

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

seat that was held at that time by his father Iwazō Kaneko. Genjiro came second in the

Nagasaki 2nd district Nagasaki 2nd district is a constituency of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan located in Nagasaki prefecture. The district covers a southern part of the prefecture as well as a few outlying island ...

at the December 1983 general election, claiming one of the four seats represented by the district. Iwazō died at the age of 79 on 27 December 1983, 9 days after his son's election victory. Kaneko retained his seat in the No.2 district at subsequent elections in 1986, 1990 and 1993. Following the electoral reforms of 1994, he became the member for the single-seat Nagasaki 4th district at the 1996 general election. In 1998, during his 5th term in the House of Representatives, Kaneko resigned from the house to contest the Nagasaki gubernatorial election. Kaneko served as the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on the island of Kyūshū, although it also includes a number of islands off Kyūshū's northwest coast - including Tsushima and Iki. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,246,4 ...

for three terms from 1998 until 2010. He chose not to seek a fourth term and publicly endorsed his deputy

Hōdō Nakamura is a Japanese politician and a former governor of Nagasaki Prefecture located in the Kyushu region of Japan. He was re-elected for another four-year term as governor in both 2014 and 2018. Nakamura ran for a fourth term in 2022, but lost the elec ...

at the February 2010 gubernatorial election . Nakamura defeated Tsuyoshi Hashimoto, who had the endorsement of the Democratic,

Social Democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

and People's New parties. In October 2021, he became

during the Kishida Cabinet.

References

* 1944 births Living people Politicians from Nagasaki Prefecture Keio University alumni Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Governors of Nagasaki Prefecture {{Japan-politician-1940s-stub