is a Japanese politician who served as Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2012 to 2018. He served in several cabinet position, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008. He was a member of the

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 ...

from 1980 to 2017.

Early life and education

Kōmura was born in

Ehime Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

on 15 March 1942. He graduated from Chuo University's faculty of law.

Career

After graduation, Kōmura passed Japan's bar exam and then immediately entered politics. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in the June 1980 election, and has been re-elected in each election since then. He became Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency (as a Minister of State) in June 1994, Minister for Foreign Affairs in July 1998, and Minister of Justice in December 2000. In August 2007, under Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, he became Minister of Defense."Profile of Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko KOUMURA"
Foreign Ministry website. Kōmura leads a small faction of the LDP named after himself and ran for LDP president in 2003, but was defeated by Junichirō Koizumi.''

Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'', "Fukuda's new linuep", 3 August 2008, P. 3. Following Abe's resignation in September 2007, Kōmura became Minister for Foreign Affairs for a second time on 26 September 2007, in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. He remained in that post until he was replaced by Hirofumi Nakasone in the Cabinet of Tarō Asō, appointed on 24 September 2008."Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2"
''The Yomiuri Shimbun'', 25 September 2005. He is vice president of the LDP. Kōmura is also the President of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union. He is known to have strong ties within China's political circles.

Bibliography

Books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Komura, Masahiko 1942 births Living people University of Tokyo alumni Politicians from Ehime Prefecture Politicians from Yamaguchi Prefecture Ministers of defense of Japan Ministers for foreign affairs of Japan Ministers of justice of Japan Economic planning ministers of Japan Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) 2012–2014 Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) 2014–2017