19 Facts About Hakubun Shimomura

Hakubun Shimomura is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet.

Hakubun Shimomura has advocated for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to deny the Nanjing Massacre and the existence of the comfort women system.

Hakubun Shimomura held a seat in the Diet for nearly three decades, winning nine consecutive terms until losing in the 2024 Japanese general election.

Hakubun Shimomura lost his father at the age of nine and endured severe financial hardship in order to complete his education, but obtained scholarships to complete high school and university.

Hakubun Shimomura operated a cram school while enrolled as a student at Waseda University.

Hakubun Shimomura had served in the assembly of Tokyo for two terms since 1989.

Hakubun Shimomura was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996.

Hakubun Shimomura is a representative of the district of Tokyo No 11 in the lower house.

Hakubun Shimomura was deputy chief cabinet secretary in the first government of Shinzo Abe in 2006.

Hakubun Shimomura was again appointed to the Cabinet by Shinzo Abe as minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology on 26 December 2012.

Hakubun Shimomura advocated for avoiding a "masochistic view of history" about Japan's role in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.

Hakubun Shimomura claimed that examinations of Japanese textbooks were fair and impartial, although he wanted a more "patriotic take on Japan".

Hakubun Shimomura claimed he wanted to seek to balance out the bad aspects of Japan's history and emphasize points of pride.

Hakubun Shimomura advocated for revoking the 1995 Murayama Statement, in which remorse was expressed to Asia for Japan's wartime atrocities.

Hakubun Shimomura oversaw preparations by the Organising Committee for the 2020 Summer Olympics on behalf of the national government in Tokyo before being replaced by Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo on 25 June 2015.

Hakubun Shimomura is affiliated with the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi, and his political views are fully consistent with the organization's agenda.

In 2007, Hakubun Shimomura said in response to four upcoming films on the 70th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre in China, "There will be various movies and exhibitions on the Nanking incident, and it is natural that we should make efforts to suggest more details of facts and prevent wrong views from spreading in China".

Hakubun Shimomura has a son with a learning disability who graduated from the University of the Arts London in 2013.

The originally anonymous reporter was revealed to be affiliated with TV Asahi by the time Hakubun Shimomura made the statement.