Ryu Matsumoto

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Ryu Matsumoto

| native_name = {{nobold|松本龍}}

| native_name_lang = ja

| image = Ryū Matsumoto.jpg

| image_size = 220px

| caption = Official portrait, 2010

| office = Minister of the Environment

| primeminister = Naoto Kan

| term_start = 21 September 2010

| term_end = 27 June 2011

| predecessor = Sakihito Ozawa

| successor = Satsuki Eda

| office2 = Member of the House of Representatives

| term_start2 = 19 February 1990

| term_end2 = 16 November 2012

| predecessor2 = Multi-member district

| successor2 = Takahiro Inoue

| constituency2 = Former Fukuoka 1st (1990–1996)
Fukuoka 1st (1996–2012)

| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|5|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Fukuoka, Japan

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|7|21|1951|5|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Fukuoka, Japan

| alma_mater = Chuo University

| relatives = Jiichirō Matsumoto (grandfather)

| party = DPJ (after 1998)

| otherparty = JSP (before 1996)
SDP (1996)
DP (1996–1998)

}}

{{nihongo|Ryu Matsumoto|松本龍|Matsumoto Ryū|extra=May 17, 1951 – July 21, 2018}} was a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

Early life

Matsumoto was a native of Fukuoka, Fukuoka and graduated from Chuo University.

Political career

Matsumoto was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1990 as a member of the Japan Socialist Party. He followed in the steps of his grandfather Jiichirō Matsumoto and father in command of the Buraku Liberation League. He was vice-chairman Buraku Liberation League when he advocated suppression of free speech.[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cabinet/cabinet.html?formed=20100608_01&date=&member=26 Japan Times 2010/06/08] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623195317/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cabinet/cabinet.html?formed=20100608_01&date=&member=26 |date=2011-06-23 }}

Controversy

Matsumoto resigned from the post of the Minister of Reconstruction and from the vice-chairmanship of the Buraku Liberation League after making harsh and abrasive criticism of the two governors from the area affected by the Great East Japan earthquake as well as threatening to ruin the career of any journalists who reported his remarks. He later apologised and then blamed his behaviour on his Fukuoka background and also on his B-blood type, a popular superstition in Japan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14024206 |title=Japan Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto quits|work=BBC News|date=2011-07-05|accessdate=2011-07-09}}

Matsumoto's was criticised for his intimidation of journalists when he told them that "Your company is over if you publicize my remarks" as the essence of the liberation alliance.

{{Cite web |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cabinet/cabinet.html?formed=20100608_01&date=&member=26 |title=Japan Times 2010/06/08 |access-date=2011-07-06 |archive-date=2011-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623195317/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cabinet/cabinet.html?formed=20100608_01&date=&member=26 |url-status=dead }}2011年7月5日 Jcastニュース [http://megalodon.jp/2011-0705-2106-16/www.j-cast.com/2011/07/05100537.html 共産党・小池前参院議員「松本大臣発言は部落解放同盟の地金」]

Death

He died of lung cancer on July 21, 2018, at the age of 67.[https://mainichi.jp/articles/20180721/k00/00e/010/268000c 松本龍さん67歳=元民主党衆院議員、元復興担当相], Mainichi Shimbun.

References

{{cite web |url=http://www.senkyo.janjan.jp/diet/profile/0000/00000263.html |script-title=ja:政治家情報〜松本龍〜 |website=www.senkyo.janjan.jp ザ･選挙 |publisher=JANJAN |accessdate=2007-10-14 |language=Japanese}}