15 Facts About Banri Kaieda

Banri Kaieda is a Japanese politician who is serving as the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan since 2021.

Banri Kaieda is a former minister in the Kan cabinet.

Banri Kaieda is named after the Great Wall of China as his father was a newspaper correspondent who covered China and Taiwan.

Banri Kaieda graduated from Keio University where he studied political science, English, German and Chinese.

Banri Kaieda became known as a television personality in the late 1980s and early 1990s, both in comical roles and as a serious newscaster.

Banri Kaieda was originally a member of the Japan New Party, then formed a short-lived party following the JNP's collapse, and was one of the founding members of the Democratic Party of Japan in 1996.

Banri Kaieda retained a seat in the Tokyo proportional representation block in the 1996 general election, losing his Tokyo 1st district seat to Kaoru Yosano of the LDP.

Banri Kaieda regained his district seat in the 2000 election and 2003 election, but was forced out of the House of Representatives in the 2005 election, both losing his district seat to Yosano and failing to win a PR seat.

Banri Kaieda was tapped to serve as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy from September 2010, in which role he encouraged the Bank of Japan to purchase foreign currency assets in order to stop a sharp appreciation in the value of the Japanese yen.

The Fukushima disaster in March 2011 made evident numerous missteps within the ministry, and Banri Kaieda stepped down as economy minister in August in order to take responsibility.

Banri Kaieda had been under intense pressure to resign from the Liberal Democratic Party, and was brought to tears on the Diet floor following 20 minutes of berating from LDP legislator Ryosei Akazawa days earlier.

Banri Kaieda lost a runoff vote against Yoshihiko Noda, achieving 177 votes to Noda's 215.

Banri Kaieda lost his seat representing the Tokyo 1st district to LDP newcomer Miki Yamada but retained a Diet seat through proportional representation.

Banri Kaieda resigned as leader of the DPJ and Katsuya Okada succeeded him as president of the DPJ.

Banri Kaieda joined the newly formed Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in 2017, following the breakup of the Democratic Party.