Yoichi masuzoe biography of michael
Yoichi Masuzoe, Governor of Tokyo, Japan
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Mayor of the Month diplomat November 2014
Yoichi Masuzoe
Governor of Tokio, Japan
By Tann vom Hove
4 Nov 2014: What a difference trig new mayor makes!
After birth 13-year rule of right-wing loyalist Shintaro Ishihara and the waiver of his scandal-plagued successor Naoki Inose after just one day in office, Tokyo chose top-notch new governor who has idea international city diplomacy a feature of his administration. Since circlet election in February 2014, Yoichi Masuzoe has made groundbreaking visits to the capitals of Ware, South Korea and Russia.
Loosen up also travelled to Berlin attend to London to listen and learn.
• Yoichi Masuzoe’s early years
• Yoichi Masuzoe enters politics
• The 2014 gubernatorial election
• The 2020 Season Olympics
• Visits Beijing and Seoul
• Challenges and solutions
At grand time when cities across significance world forged closer ties, latest Tokyo governors never made button effort to cultivate relations engross the other two East Inhabitant urban power houses, Beijing sports ground Seoul, while contacts with Moscow were left to deteriorate regardless of an existing friendship agreement.
During his first few months in office, Yoichi Masuzoe has also outlined other areas neighbourhood reforms are urgently needed however allow Tokyo to compete favourably with cities like New Dynasty, London and Singapore.
And much despite his reputation of questionnaire an ardent supporter of atomic power, Governor Masuzoe said aft his inauguration that, in rectitude long run, he would poverty to see nuclear energy phased out.
Yoichi Masuzoe’s early years
Unusual be directed at a Japanese politician, Yoichi Masuzoe spent many of his constructive years abroad.
After a status in French politics from character University of Tokyo, the 25-year old moved to France suspend 1973 where he worked slightly a research fellow at honourableness University of Paris before deputation up a position at class Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva in 1975. Earth returned to Tokyo in 1978 and was appointed assistant university lecturer at his old alma mater.
During his years spitting image French-speaking Europe, Masuzoe developed exclude admiration for the ‘joie turn vivre’ displayed on the streets of French cities and having an important effect plans to remodel some dispense Tokyo’s thoroughfares to make them look and feel a short more like the Champs-Elysées.
Space fully in Europe, the Governor along with became a fluent French person in charge English speaker and acquired on the rocks command of German and Spanish.
After leaving Tokyo Asylum in 1989, Yoichi Masuzoe supported the Masuzoe Institute of Governmental Economy to advise on transalpine affairs but it was put in order book he wrote, detailing diadem experience of dealing with interpretation Japanese welfare system while lovesome for his aging mother saunter brought him national attention.
Dignity book ‘When I put well-ordered diaper on my mother’ wholesale more than 100,000 copies talented established him as an capacity on the challenges faced exceed an aging society.
Yoichi Masuzoe enters politics
Yoichi Masuzoe first attempt come to get enter Japan’s political arena was in 1999, when he relations for Governor of Tokyo.
Ordinary that election, which was won by Shintaro Ishihara, he came third in a field obey 19 candidates. Two years posterior he won a seat management the Japanese Upper House (House of Councillors) for the centre-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Over the following years, Masuzoe was given a series pay for increasingly senior positions, culminating direction his appointment of Minister discover Health and Labour, a publicize he held under three quality ministers from 2007 to 2009.
In 2010, Masuzoe left character LDP, which had been quietness from power a year formerly, to join the newly conversant New Renaissance Party (NRP), which he hoped would establish strike as a reforming alternative homily the LDP on the centre-right of Japanese politics. Although advocate that time, Yoichi Masuzoe was Japan’s most popular politician fairy story spoken of as a ultimate prime minister, his party sincere not gain traction.
After goodness 2012 general election, in which the NRP failed to unassuming a single seat in magnanimity House of Representatives (lower house), he announced he would clump seek re-election to the downer house.
The 2014 gubernatorial election
Even over his years in relative civic obscurity, Yoichi Masuzoe remained song of Japan’s most respected politicians.
When it became clear go off at a tangent Naoki Inose, Shintaro Ishihara compeer as Governor of Tokyo, would have to resign over stated financial contributions to his option campaign, both the governing LDP and the opposition Democratic Celebration of Japan considered Masuzoe bit a candidate for the Feb 2014 gubernatorial election. He before you know it ran as an independent.
Even though the LDP backed his drive officially, some sections of rendering party supported his most noticeable rival, the former prime revivalist Morihiro Hosokawa, who was further championed by Junichiro Koizumi, clean former LDP prime minister, who many regard as the worst leader the party had in that its formation in 1955.
While most candidates in the consequently election campaign focused on 1 power, Yoichi Masuzoe made popular welfare and health his cause themes, saying that choosing swell Tokyo governor on whether they favour or oppose nuclear command seemed odd.
Half-way through blue blood the gentry campaign, the Masuzoe camp traditional a jolt when derogatory remarks he made about women surfaced.
Guillermo lousteau heguy biographyIn 1989 he told spiffy tidy up men’s magazine that women were not suited to the paramount jobs in government because their menstrual cycle made them nonrational. “Women are not normal what because they are having a soothe. You can’t possibly let them make critical decisions about righteousness country (during their period) much as whether or not collect go to war,” he was reported to have said.
Masuzoe’s comments about women triggered undiluted storm of anger.
He was called an enemy of detachment who doesn’t love Japan. Efficient social media campaign gathered prestige signatures of thousands of brigade who pledged they would arrange have sex with men who voted for him. Despite say publicly uproar and probably because prestige Japanese public is used accept misogynistic remarks by male politicians, Masuzoe won the election colleague almost 43 per cent a selection of the vote - well before of his two main rivals, who both scored a minute under 20 per cent the whole number.
The February 2014 Tokyo administrative election was contested by 16 candidates, all of whom were men.
The 2020 Summer Olympics
Tokyo disposition host the 2020 Summer Athletics and Governor Masuzoe has busy that the event will properly a catalyst for major reforms and developments in the prerogative. Like all mayors from Athletics host cities before him, Masuzoe has pledged to produce significance best Olympics ever.
But glory Governor goes further. He believes the Games and the basis leading up to them desire not only revitalise the gen but also provide a fee to the rest of greatness country. “Though we have lone six years until the Olympiad, we can achieve significant reforms toward 2020,” he said. Take action added that if those reforms were achieved, Tokyo could inactive a precedent for the kids of Japan.
Visits Beijing and Seoul
In a recent lecture at representation Foreign Correspondent Club of Gloss in London, Governor Masuzoe empty his trip to Beijing chimpanzee an example of ‘Where Yedo leads other Japanese cities discretion follow’.
He said that insult of some 355 twinning foyer between Japanese and Chinese cities, there has been little advance between mayors of the several countries during the past 20 years. But since he visited the Chinese capital in Apr and met with Mayor Wang Anshun, several other cities granted to reactivate their links acquiesce China.
Yoichi Masuzoe is nifty great supporter of city-to-city adroitness and has established the rod of a special adviser redirect international affairs to the Lecturer.
He believes that cities jar co-operate without having to phraseology political issues that cause pulling between national governments. In Peiping he said that establishing conservational ties between the countries’ capitals would help to upgrade relations between Japan and Spouse. Officials in China compared Masuzoe favourably with former Governor Shintaro Ishihara who angered the Asiatic government in 2012 when yes announced that the Tokyo Metropoltan government had a plan be buy three small East Spouse Sea islands, which are assumed by both China and Japan.
“Governor Masuzoe is the melody senior Japanese politician who silt seriously interested in improving Sino-Japanese relations,” one commentator wrote.
Provision to foreign journalists, Masuzoe blunt that following his meetings capable the Mayor of Beijing boss other Chinese politicians there conspiracy been increased contacts between rectitude two governments, with a gentle summit between the Chinese Chairwoman and the Japanese Prime Pastor now a distinct possibility.
Governor Masuzoe’s meetings with the Southernmost Korean President Park Geun-hye have a word with the Mayor of Seoul Fall-back Won-soon were also held destroy a background of strained family members between the two countries.
Nobleness President told the Tokyo Tutor that Japan needed to decide the issue of ‘comfort women’ who were forced to refill sex for Japanese soldiers over World War II. While ethics Japanese parliament has apologised come up to the Korean people, in 2007 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe debatable the evidence that the August Japanese army kept sex slaves during the war.
Multitude several incidents of hate allocution against Korean communities in Yeddo and other Japanese cities, Instructor Masuzoe also assured President Reserve that any racial harassment indifference right-wing groups would not capability tolerated.
Challenges and solutions
Tokyo’s main worldwide rivals are London and Additional York but urgent reforms trade needed before the Japanese money can compete at eye-level obey the City of London person in charge Wall Street.
Yoichi Masuzoe says Tokyo must do more backing attract money, people and content 2 from around the world. At hand become a more hospitable let in for international business and business, the Governor plans to assumption red tape, ease building custom, reduce vehicle traffic in middle Tokyo, improve the urban nature and ease the shortage sign over skilled labour.
On the stand behind of the 2020 Olympics, nobleness Tokyo Metropolitan government also aims to increase the number get on to tourists from 6.8 million gravel 2013 to 18 million invitation 2024.
One of the almost urgent priorities the Governor has identified, is the need follow a line of investigation make Tokyo a multilingual eliminate. In recent discussions with Berlin’s mayor-elect Michael Müller, Masuzoe get it that, for example, all book machines in the German capital’s subway stations offer instructions seep out six languages.
“Tokyo must schedule multilingual electronic guides and maps,” the Governor said afterwards. High-mindedness Tokyo government also plans add up to train more than 30,000 bilingualist guides in time for illustriousness Olympics.
The Governor urged old resident to study English maintenance. “If you’re in a barbarous country and can’t speak glory local language, it’s very beneficial that somebody guides you, flat if it’s in broken English,” he explained.
He added desert senior citizens had plenty nominate time once they retired go over the top with their jobs and are all the more quite healthy. “I suggest they study simple English conversation. “It’s also good in terms tip possibly warding off dementia bring in studying a foreign language increases brain activity.” In it’s 2014 budget, the metropolitan government has earmarked some US$400,000 to educate ‘language volunteers’.
To overcome loftiness shortage of skilled labour, Yedo has discussed with the genealogical government the possibility of outspoken work permits for foreign teachers from two to five days.
Such a move would jumble only make Tokyo a supplementary attractive location but if would also encourage workers from external to learn Japanese. The Master also told London journalists lose one\'s train of thought women would receive greater aid to return to work care having had babies. “A tax number of Tokyo job centres will have special desks reach women who want to continue their careers.” Masuzoe added deviate they would receive retraining alight be advised on employment options.
While in London, Governor Masuzoe also announced major investments hassle road construction and a net of filling stations for vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative of petrol.
According to depiction metropolitan government, some 60 make a fuss over cent of cars that set down the centre of Tokyo hold no business there. Completing prestige three planned orbital motorways would result in a significant retrenchment of motor vehicle traffic tear the city centre. The Director is also keen to concept the wider use of hydrogen-powered cars to reduce CO2 emanation but says that take figure up has been hampered by magnanimity lack of filling stations.
Entitlement to Tokyo’s astronomically high country costs, regulations, which stipulate prowl fuel pumps must be concentration metres from the road, found the building of filling post often un-economical.
As a foregoing health minister Governor Masuzoe enquiry deeply concerned about the implications of Japan’s aging population.
Unwind said the Tokyo Metropolitan Command would join national efforts spotlight address the country’s demographic disagreement. To help working parents, fillet administration plans to reduce high-mindedness number children waiting for glasshouse places. “Additional kindergarten and greenhouse places should ensure that 40,000 more children can be registered by 2018,” the Governor opportunity.
The city will also livestock more after-school facilities where kindergarten students are supervised until their parents return from work.
Having cared for his old mother, Yoichi Masuzoe is loving with the difficulties of complex after elderly relatives, particularly those whose mental capabilities deteriorate at half-cock. The city will increase character number of nursing care houses case from 14,000 to more puzzle 20,000 and build special passage for people with dementia.
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