Akira Amari

{{short description|Japanese politician}}

{{update|date=January 2021}}

{{Expand Japanese|甘利明|date=2024-12}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Akira Amari

|native_name = {{nobold|甘利 明}}

|native_name_lang = ja

|image = Akira Amari 20150917.jpg

|caption = Official portrait, 2015

|office1 = Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party

|president1 = Fumio Kishida

|vicepresident1 = Tarō Asō

|term_start1 = 1 October 2021

|term_end1 = 4 November 2021

|predecessor1 = Toshihiro Nikai

|successor1 = Toshimitsu Motegi

|office2 = Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization

|primeminister2 = Shinzo Abe

|term_start2 = 26 December 2012

|term_end2 = 28 January 2016

|predecessor2 = Seiji Maehara

|successor2 = Nobuteru Ishihara

|office3 = Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

|primeminister3 = Shinzo Abe
Yasuo Fukuda

|term_start3 = 26 September 2006

|term_end3 = 2 August 2008

|predecessor3 = Toshihiro Nikai

|successor3 = Toshihiro Nikai

|office4 = Minister of Labour

|primeminister4 = Keizō Obuchi

|term_start4 = 30 July 1998

|term_end4 = 5 October 1999

|predecessor4 = Bunmei Ibuki

|successor4 = Takamori Makino

|office5 = Member of the House of Representatives

|constituency5 = Kanagawa 3rd (1983–1996)
Southern Kanto PR (1996–2000; 2009–2012; 2021–2024)
Kanagawa 13th (2000–2009; 2012–2021)

|term_start5 = 19 December 1983

|term_end5 = 9 October 2024

|predecessor5 =

|successor5 =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|8|27|df=y}}

|birth_place = Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan

|death_date =

|death_place =

|father = {{ill|Tadashi Amari|ja|甘利正}}

|party = Liberal Democratic

|alma_mater = Keio University

}}

{{nihongo|Akira Amari|甘利 明|Amari Akira|born 27 August 1949}} is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a former member of the lower house.

Personal life

Amari is a native of Atsugi, Kanagawa, where he attended Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School. He graduated from Keio University in 1972 with a degree in political science.{{Cite web|title=甘利明 Official Web {{!}} Akira Amari|url=https://amari-akira.com/04_profile/about_akira.html|access-date=2021-12-12|website=amari-akira.com|archive-date=2021-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017120837/https://amari-akira.com/04_profile/about_akira.html|url-status=live}} After spending two years working at Sony, he left to work as a secretary for his father, Tadashi Amari, who at the time represented Kanagawa's 3rd district in the House of Representatives.

Career

He is a member of the Japan–Korea Parliamentarians' Union and the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union.

File:Yasuo Fukuda Cabinet 20070926.jpg

He was the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2006 to 2008. He also served as Minister of State in charge of Administrative Reform in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Tarō Asō.

In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, appointed on 24 September 2008, Amari was appointed as Minister of State in charge of Administrative Reform.[http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080925TDY01303.htm "Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928200407/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080925TDY01303.htm |date=2008-09-28 }}, The Yomiuri Shimbun, 25 September 2008.

On December 26, 2012, Amari was appointed to the newly created cabinet-level position of Minister of State for Economic Revitalization in the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Amari's responsibilities within the Abe government also include tax and social security reform.[http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121226_26.html] {{dead link|date=November 2014}} Like Abe and most members of the Cabinet, he is affiliated to the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi."[http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2994558 Abe’s reshuffle promotes right-wingers" - Korea Joongang Daily - 2014/09/05] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904152312/http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2994558 |date=2014-09-04 }}

In 2016, Amari resigned from his Cabinet post amidst allegations of bribery, and was succeeded by Nobuteru Ishihara."[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35427563 Japanese economy minister Akira Amari quits over bribery claims] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504042945/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35427563 |date=2018-05-04 }}"

In late September 2021, newly elected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appointed Amari to succeed Toshihiro Nikai as the Secretary General of the LDP.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-30|title=Kishida taps ex-economy minister Akira Amari as LDP's No. 2|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/09/30/national/politics-diplomacy/ldp-executives-kishida/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=The Japan Times|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016040539/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/09/30/national/politics-diplomacy/ldp-executives-kishida/|url-status=live}} In an upset, Amari lost his seat representing Kanagawa's 13th district to Constitutional Democratic Party opponent Hideshi Futori during the 2021 Japanese general elections, but retained his seat in the lower house as representative of the Southern Kanto proportional representation block.{{Cite web|last=日本放送協会|title=衆議院選挙2021 神奈川(横浜・川崎など)開票速報・選挙結果 小選挙区 NHK|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/senkyo/database/shugiin/2021/14/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=www.nhk.or.jp|language=ja|archive-date=2021-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101010554/https://www.nhk.or.jp/senkyo/database/shugiin/2021/14/|url-status=live}} Nevertheless, Amari resigned from his position as the party's Secretary General, and Kishida appointed Toshimitsu Motegi to be his replacement.{{Cite news|last=Takenaka|first=Kiyoshi|date=2021-11-02|title=Japan's foreign minister Motegi to take key ruling party post|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-foreign-minister-motegi-become-ruling-party-secretary-general-2021-11-02/|access-date=2021-12-11|archive-date=2021-12-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212001257/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-foreign-minister-motegi-become-ruling-party-secretary-general-2021-11-02/|url-status=live}}

References

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