14 Facts About Kazuyuki Hamada

Kazuyuki Hamada has served one term in the House of Councillors for the Tottori At-large district.

Kazuyuki Hamada's father was employed at Japanese National Railways and his mother was from a farming family.

Kazuyuki Hamada graduated from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with a degree in Chinese language in 1975 and joined Nippon Steel the same year.

Kazuyuki Hamada contested the Tottori at-large district of the national House of Councillors at the July 2010 election as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party.

On 27 June 2011, whilst still a member of the opposition LDP, Kazuyuki Hamada was offered a position in the government of Naoto Kan as Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

Kazuyuki Hamada resigned from the LDP and joined the ministry the following day.

Kazuyuki Hamada sat as an independent for several months before joining the People's New Party on 29 December 2011.

Kazuyuki Hamada became a Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Noda's cabinet and remained in the position until the DPJ were defeated by the LDP in the December 2012 general election.

The People's New Party performed poorly in the election, and in the aftermath Kazuyuki Hamada became Secretary-General of the party.

Kazuyuki Hamada joined the Party for Future Generations in November 2014, which changed its name to the Party for Japanese Kokoro in December 2015.

However, on Friday 27 May 2016 Kazuyuki Hamada caused controversy when he was absent from the House of Councillors, which was debating bills related to relief following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, in order to attend a party meeting in Osaka for Osaka prefectural representatives.

Kazuyuki Hamada greeted the meeting by saying "I have come today to say a greeting to the all-star cast in attendance".

Kazuyuki Hamada's attendance was intended to gain support within the party for his national block campaign, and Hamada later explained that he had the party's permission to be absent from the House debate.

Kazuyuki Hamada submitted his resignation to the party on the same day, which was accepted the following day, 1 June 2016.