Masahiro Imamura | |
|---|---|
今村 雅弘 | |
 Imamura in 2016 | |
| Minister for Reconstruction | |
| In office 3 August 2016 – 26 April 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe |
| Preceded by | Tsuyoshi Takagi |
| Succeeded by | Masayoshi Yoshino |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 21 October 1996 – 9 October 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Constituency | Saga 2nd (1996–2009; 2012-2014) Kyushu PR (2009–2012; 2014–2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-01-25)25 January 1947 (age 78) |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic (before 2005; 2006–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (2005–2006) |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo |
Masahiro Imamura (今村 雅弘,Imamura Masahiro; born January 25, 1947) is a formerJapanesepolitician of theLiberal Democratic Party who served as a member of theHouse of Representatives in theDiet (national legislature).
A native ofKashima, Saga and a graduate of theUniversity of Tokyo, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 after working for theJapan Railways Group.
On August 11, 2016, one week after joining Prime MinisterShinzō Abe's cabinet as reconstruction minister for disaster-hit regions, Masahiro Imamura visited thecontroversialYasukuni shrine.[1]
In late 2016, hours after Abe and Defense MinisterTomomi Inada met PresidentBarack Obama inHawaii and Abe expressed 'everlasting condolences' for the casualties of the1941 attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Imamura again visited the shrine.[2] The visit garnered "a sharp rebuke from Beijing". Imamura said his visit had “nothing to do with” Abe’s trip and the timing was “a coincidence”, saying he "wished to express gratitude and prayed for Japan’s peace and prosperity".[3]
Imamura is a member of keyright-wing Diet groups:[4]
Ahead of the 2012 elections,[5] Imamura positioned himself in favor of:
Masahiro Imamura, who holds rather radical positions about nuclear issues, was until April 26, 2017 the minister in charge of coping with the aftermath of theFukushima nuclear power plant disaster. He was forced to step down over a remark that he had made the previous day suggesting that it had been better that the 2011 earthquake and tsunami had hit the Tohoku region than the Tokyo region. He has been replaced by Masayoshi Yoshino who had been chairman of the special House of Representatives committee on Tohoku reconstruction.[6]