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Isshu Sugawara

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Japanese politician
Isshu Sugawara
菅原 一秀
Official portrait, 2019
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
In office
11 September 2019 – 25 October 2019
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byHiroshige Sekō
Succeeded byHiroshi Kajiyama
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
9 November 2003 – 3 June 2021
Preceded byKoichi Yoshida
Succeeded byIssei Yamagishi
ConstituencyTokyo 9th (2003–2009; 2012–2021)
Tokyo PR (2009–2012)
Member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly
In office
23 July 1997 – 2000
ConstituencyNerima Ward
Member of the Nerima Ward Assembly
In office
30 May 1991 – 1997
Personal details
Born (1962-01-07) 7 January 1962 (age 62)
Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
Alma materWaseda University

Isshu Sugawara (菅原 一秀, Sugawara Isshū, born 7 January 1962) is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

Career

Sugawara is a native of Nerima, Tokyo, and a graduate of Waseda University. After an unsuccessful contest in 1990, he was elected to the assembly of Nerima, Tokyo, for the first time in 1991 serving for two terms. Having served in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly since 1997, he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 2000. He ran again three years later and was elected for the first time in Tokyo 9th district.

Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

In Sugawara’s time as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, he vowed to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as part of his goal to end all nuclear power plants in Japan by 2030. Sugawara was only Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry for a month and a half as he resigned from his position. Sugawara became involved in a gift scandal. Sugawara made illegal donations of 802,200 yen to 33 groups and 26 individuals in Tokyo District 9 from 2018-2019. Sugawara’s aide used a portion of the money to buy melons, oranges, roe, royal jelly, flowers, and signed cards as condolence money for families in his district dealing with a death. According to the prosecutors, the rest of the money was used for celebrations. Japan’s Public Offices Election Laws prohibit politicians from giving gifts or money to constitutions. Sugawara’s gift scandal first came to light when the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that Sugawara’s secretary gave 20,000 yen as condolences to the family of a deceased constituent. After the scandal leaked, Sugawara left the Liberal Democratic Party on June 2. This put the Liberal Democratic Party in a tricky situation, as they were already involved in similar scandals with former ministers. The day after Sugawara removed himself from the Liberal Democratic Party, he was pushed to resign from Minister of Economy Trade and Industry to allow Parliament discussions to continue. At first, the prosecutors at the Tokyo Summary Court did not indict Sugawara because he stepped down as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry and apologized. But this was changed as a civil inquest believed Sugawara’s actions warranted indictment. The Tokyo Summary Court made an indictment against him. Sugawara was fined 400,000 yen and was given a civil rights suspension. Under the suspension, Sugawara was not allowed to vote or run for office for three years.

His profile on the LPD website:

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member
  • Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Labour and Welfare (Abe Cabinet)
  • Deputy Secretary-General of LDP
  • Deputy Director, Health, Labor and Welfare Division of LDP
  • Director, Economy, Trade and Industry Division of LDP
  • Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

Positions

Affiliated to the openly revisionist and monarchist lobby Nippon Kaigi, Sugawara supports the amendment of the Constitution of Japan, and a revision of the Constitution to allow the right of collective self-defense. He is opposed to the project that would allow women in the Imperial family to retain their Imperial status even after marriage, and to the plan to end all nuclear power plants by the end of the 2030s.

References

  1. jimin.jp/english/profile/members/114766.html - LDP website - retrieved 19 November 2014
  2. Nippon Kaigi website
  3. Mainichi questionnaire 2012 - senkyo.mainichi.jp/46shu/kaihyo_area_meikan.html?mid=A13009003003

“Court Order to Bar Ex-Economy Minister from Office for 3 Years: The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis.” The Asahi Shimbun, 22 June 2021, www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14378374. “Ex-Japan Trade Minister Sugawara Fined 400,000 Yen over Gift Scandal.” Kyodo News+, KYODO NEWS+, 21 June 2021, english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/06/18054de10617-ex-trade-minister-sugawara-fined-400000-yen-over-gift-scandal.html?phrase=pyongyang&words=.

External links

Political offices
Preceded byKyoko Nishikawa, Hiroshi Okada Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Labour and Welfare
2006–2007
Served alongside: Hirokazu Matsuno 		Succeeded byKenta Matsunami, Wataru Ito
Preceded byYōsuke Kondō, Isao Matsumiya Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
2012–2013
Served alongside: Kazuyoshi Akaba 		Succeeded byMidori Matsushima, Kazuyoshi Akaba
Preceded byNobuhide Minorikawa, Ichiro Miyashita Senior Vice Minister of Finance
2014–2015
Served alongside: Ichiro Miyashita 		Succeeded byManabu Sakai, Naoki Okada
Preceded byHiroshige Sekō Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
2019 		Succeeded byHiroshi Kajiyama
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