17 Facts About Katsuya Okada

Katsuya Okada is a Japanese politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Japan from January to December 2012.

Katsuya Okada served as Secretary-General of the DPJ three times.

Katsuya Okada is the second son of Takuya Okada, who is a co-founder of AEON Group.

Katsuya Okada did a short course at Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in Harvard University.

Katsuya Okada ran for the House of Representatives at the 1990 general election from LDP, representing Mie Prefecture's third district, and later joined the Takeshita faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, and followed faction leaders Tsutomu Hata and Ichiro Ozawa to join the Japan Renewal Party in 1993.

Katsuya Okada became president of the DPJ on 18 May 2004, and led the DPJ to one of its largest electoral victories in history during the 2004 House of Councillors election.

Katsuya Okada ran for the presidency in 2009 but lost to Yukio Hatoyama.

Katsuya Okada was regarded as a possible successor of Hatoyama when Hatoyama announced his resignation as Prime Minister and DPJ leader in June 2010, but Katsuya Okada gave his support to Finance Minister Naoto Kan, who quickly emerged as the likely successor to Hatoyama.

The Foreign Ministry under Katsuya Okada confirmed the existence of a long-rumored secret pact between Japan and US which had allowed the US military to carry nuclear weapons into Japanese territory in contravention of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan.

Katsuya Okada, who is viewed as an intraparty ally of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, is believed to have been given the role of secretary general in order to secure Kan's influence in the governing party, as well as to help force the passage of government bills in parliament.

Katsuya Okada ran in the DPJ leadership election held in January 2015 after former president Banri Kaieda resigned after losing his seat.

Katsuya Okada won and returned as DPJ leader after a period of nine years.

In 2015, there were allegations made against Katsuya Okada, saying that he had accepted 240,000 yen in donations from Nisshin Seifun Group Inc in 2011 and 2012.

In 2022, Katsuya Okada was appointed to be the secretary general of the CDP, replacing Chinami Nishimura.

Katsuya Okada currently holds the secretary general position to this day.

Katsuya Okada was many times interviewed by Sekai Nippo, the official newspaper of the Unification Church, an anti-communism new religion.

Katsuya Okada is said to be an avid collector of frog knick knacks, which decorate his office.