Yoshimasa Hayashi

Yoshimasa Hayashi (林 芳正, Hayashi Yoshimasa, born 19 January 1961) is a Japanese politician who currently serves as Minister for Foreign Affairs since November 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he also serves in the House of Representatives for the Yamaguchi 3rd district since 2021.

Yoshimasa Hayashi
林 芳正
Hayashi in 2021
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
10 November 2021
Prime MinisterFumio Kishida
Preceded byToshimitsu Motegi
Fumio Kishida (acting)
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
In office
3 August 2017  2 October 2018
Prime MinisterShinzō Abe
Preceded byHirokazu Matsuno
Succeeded byMasahiko Shibayama
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office
23 February 2015  7 October 2015
Prime MinisterShinzō Abe
Preceded byKoya Nishikawa
Succeeded byHiroshi Moriyama
In office
26 December 2012  3 September 2014
Prime MinisterShinzō Abe
Preceded byAkira Gunji
Succeeded byKoya Nishikawa
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
In office
2 July 2009  16 September 2009
Prime MinisterTaro Aso
Preceded byKaoru Yosano
Succeeded byNaoto Kan
Minister of Defense
In office
2 August 2008  24 September 2008
Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda
Preceded byShigeru Ishiba
Succeeded byYasukazu Hamada
Personal details
Born (1961-01-19) 19 January 1961
Shimonoseki, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party
Parent(s)Yoshiro Hayashi
Alma materUniversity of Tokyo
John F. Kennedy School of Government

Biography

A native of Shimonoseki, Hayashi is the son of late politician Yoshiro Hayashi.[1] He graduated from the University of Tokyo and studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In the United States, he was a staffer for U.S. Representative Stephen L. Neal and U.S. Senator William V. Roth, Jr. He began his career with Mitsui & Co. Hayashi entered politics as a secretary to his father, Finance Minister Yoshiro Hayashi, in 1992. Around the same time, he was also the member of the policy staff for a US senator. Hayashi was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1995. He represents the fourth generation of politicians in his family and has concentrated on administrative and tax reform since taking office.[2] He is the great grandson of Akira Tawarada, the founder of Ube Industries in 1942.[3] This company made extensive use of American and Allied POW slave labor in three of their coal mines in Yamaguchi prefecture.[4]

Hayashi was appointed to the Cabinet for the first time as Minister of Defense on 1 August 2008.[5] He held this post for less than two months, however; in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, appointed on 24 September 2008, Hayashi was replaced by Yasukazu Hamada.[6]

After the LDP returned to power in the December 2012 general election Hayashi was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.[7][8]

On 6 November 2021, his appointment as the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Second Kishida Cabinet was announced.[9]

He likes karaoke and golf. He plays the guitar and keyboard with LDP colleagues in a band called Gi!nz.[2]

References


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