Kōji Omi

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Koji Omi

| native_name = {{nobold|尾身幸次}}

| native_name_lang = ja

| image = Koji Omi 1997.jpg

| image_size = 220px

| caption = Official portrait, 1997

| office1 = Minister of Finance

| primeminister1 = Shinzo Abe

| term_start1 = 26 September 2006

| term_end1 = 27 August 2007

| predecessor1 = Sadakazu Tanigaki

| successor1 = Fukushiro Nukaga

| office2 = Head of the Economic Planning Agency

| primeminister2 = Ryutaro Hashimoto

| term_start2 = 11 September 1997

| term_end2 = 30 July 1998

| predecessor2 = Taro Aso

| successor2 = Taichi Sakaiya

| office3 = Member of the House of Representatives

| constituency3 = Former Gunma 1st (1983–1996)
Gunma 1st (1996–2000; 2003–2005)
Northern Kanto PR (2000–2003; 2005–2009)

| term_start3 = 19 December 1983

| term_end3 = 21 July 2009

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|12|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Numata, Gunma, Japan

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|04|14|1932|12|14|df=y}}

| death_place = Tokyo, Japan

| party = Liberal Democratic

| otherparty =

| alma_mater = Hitotsubashi University

}}

File:Koji Omi Martin Varsavsky.jpg at STS in Kyoto]]

{{nihongo|Kōji Omi|尾身幸次|Omi Kōji|14 December 1932 – 14 April 2022}} was a Japanese politician most notable for serving as Minister of Finance in the first Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Personal life

Kōji Omi was born in Numata, Gunma Prefecture on 14 December 1932. He attended Hitotsubashi University, where he graduated with a degree in Commerce.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

He died on 14 April 2022, at the age of 89.

Political career

Omi started his career in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry where he later served as consul general of Japan in New York City and as the Director of the Small Business Administration. He was elected to the House of Representatives of the National Diet in 1983.

In 1997, Omi was appointed as the Director of the Economic Planning Agency. He briefly acted as a Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi between 2001 and 2002.{{Cite web |title=Founding Chairman Koji Omi |url=https://www.stsforum.org/aboutus/kojiomi |url-status= |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=STSforum}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2022/4/28/remembering-outstanding-leader-who-linked-okinawa-science-and-technology|title=Remembering a Visionary: Koji Omi Connected Okinawa with Science and Technology|website=oist.jp|access-date=26 April 2022}} He was on a diplomatic mission to the United States during the 11 September 2001 attacks.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} Between 2006 and 2007, he served as the Minister of Finance under Shinzō Abe. Omi supported increases in the national consumption tax, although Abe distanced himself from this policy and sought to achieve much of his budget balancing through spending cuts.[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aazDA2MUNE7s&refer=home Japan's Abe Unexpectedly Names Omi Finance Minister], Bloomberg.com, 26 September 2006.

He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by the University of Cambodia in 2007{{Cite web|url=http://uc.edu.kh/ucb/List%20of%20Honorary%20Doctorates%20(2004%20-%202014)/2015-07-22%2006:43:17/1889/|title=Welcome to The University of Cambodia (UC)|website=uc.edu.kh|access-date=10 May 2018}} and was awarded the first honorary doctorate by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in 2018.{{Cite web |title=In honor of his efforts and achievements, OIST awarded Mr. Koji Omi its first honorary doctorate degree at the first graduation ceremony in 2018. |url=https://www.oist.jp/image/honor-his-efforts-and-achievements-oist-awarded-mr-koji-omi-its-first-honorary-doctorate-degree |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology}}

Other work

Founder and Chairman, Science and Technology in Society Forum, 2004.{{cite journal|last1=Omi|first1=Koji|title=Constructing a Global Science Forum|journal=Science & Diplomacy|date=22 December 2014|volume=3|issue=4|url=http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/letter-field/2014/constructing-global-science-forum|accessdate=18 June 2015}}
Board member, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 2014 to 2021.