18 Facts About Takeo Hiranuma

Takeo Hiranuma is a former Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives.

Takeo Hiranuma is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and is former chairperson of the Party for Future Generations.

Takeo Hiranuma's mother was a grandniece of Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma.

Takeo Hiranuma left to become a political aide for Ichiro Nakagawa and Eisaku Sato.

Takeo Hiranuma then ran for a seat in the House of Representatives twice and failed, but was finally elected in 1980 as a member of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party.

In 1986, Takeo Hiranuma led an intra-LDP revolt against Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone's decision to fire his education minister Masayuki Fujio after several statements that offended Chinese, Koreans and other Asians.

Takeo Hiranuma publicly attacked Nakasone for making concessions and groveling to foreign governments.

Takeo Hiranuma served as vice minister for the ministry of finance in 1987 and minister of transport in 1995.

Takeo Hiranuma was made minister of international trade and industry in July 2000.

Takeo Hiranuma retained his post in the cabinet reshuffle of September 2002, becoming the longest-serving trade minister of Japan in postwar period.

Under the Koizumi government, Takeo Hiranuma came into conflict with Heizo Takenaka, an economist appointed to the Cabinet to promote Japanese economic revitalization.

Takeo Hiranuma orchestrated a government bailout of the Daiei supermarket chain in 2003 over Takenaka's objections.

Takeo Hiranuma was fired in August 2005 when he refused to support Koizumi's plans to privatize Japan Post.

Takeo Hiranuma was not endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party in the 2005 general election, but was nonetheless reelected.

Takeo Hiranuma was one of a number of politicians who subsequently left the Japan Restoration Party to form the Party for Future Generations on 1 August 2014, but was one of only two members of this party to win a seat in the 2014 general election.

Takeo Hiranuma rejoined the Liberal Democratic Party on 25 September 2015.

Takeo Hiranuma announced in September 2017 that he would not run in the 2017 general election, signaling his retirement from politics.

Takeo Hiranuma married Masako Tokugawa, a great-granddaughter of Tokugawa Yoshinobu and a niece of Princess Takamatsu.