Japan

Takahiro Kato is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives for Hokkaido's 1st district. Born in Bibai, Hokkaido, in 1983, he previously worked in telecommunications and advertising before founding a bakery business. Kato began his political career as a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly, where he served three terms starting in 2015. After an unsuccessful bid for the national legislature in 2024, he was elected to the House of Representatives in February 2026 as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party.

Yusuke Takahashi is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party. Born in Sapporo, he is the grandson of former Sapporo Mayor Yosaku Harada. After graduating from Nihon University, he worked in marketing and served as a secretary to lawmakers. Following a period of electoral challenges, he secured his seat in the 2026 general election. He is active in regional politics, focusing on local development and party policy initiatives within Hokkaido.

Hirohisa Takagi is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives. A former Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly member, he has held positions including State Minister of Reconstruction. His career includes experience as a police officer and a certified public accountant. Takagi advocates for constitutional reform, including the formal recognition of the Self-Defense Forces, and supports a proactive national security policy. He emphasizes social security reform and the development of a sustainable society for all generations.

Hiroyuki Nakamura is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, currently in his sixth term. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has held significant government roles including State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Throughout his career, he has focused on regional development in Hokkaido, infrastructure improvements, and active fiscal policy. He is known for his conservative political stances, including support for constitutional amendment and opposition to selective separate surnames for married couples. Nakamura previously served in the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and has been a prominent advocate for local economic revitalization and educational investment.

Yoshiaki Wada is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives. A graduate of Waseda University, he previously worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, gaining extensive international experience. He entered politics following the death of his father-in-law, Nobutaka Machimura, and was first elected in 2016. Wada has held positions including Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office and Assistant to the Minister of Defense. He advocates for constitutional reform, including the formal recognition of the Self-Defense Forces, and supports strengthening Japan's defense capabilities and energy security through nuclear power. He has faced scrutiny regarding political funding issues but remains an active legislator representing Hokkaido.

Kuniyoshi Azuma is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Hokkaido 6th district. He has been elected to the House three times and currently serves as the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance in the second Ishiba Cabinet. Before entering national politics, Azuma served five terms in the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and one term in the Asahikawa City Council. His political career began after working as a secretary for lawmaker Shizuo Sato. Azuma's policy focus includes regional development, agricultural infrastructure, and the regulation of foreign capital in land and water resource acquisition. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and has held various party leadership roles, including committee chair positions related to national security and defense.

Takako Suzuki is a Japanese politician serving as a Member of the House of Representatives and Head of the Public Relations Headquarters for the Liberal Democratic Party. The daughter of veteran politician Muneo Suzuki, she began her career at NHK before entering politics. She has held key roles including State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense. Suzuki is known for her support of constitutional reform and selective separate surnames for married couples, maintaining a focus on regional development and foreign policy.

Jun Mukoyama is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. Born in Saitama Prefecture, she spent much of her youth abroad in Peru, the United States, and Argentina. After graduating from Keio University, she worked at Mitsubishi Corporation for 13 years, focusing on infrastructure investment. Following a period of study at Harvard University, she became involved in policy research and advocacy, particularly regarding digital society and work-life balance. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2024 and re-elected in 2026, representing the Hokkaido 8th district.

Hideki Matsushita is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, representing the Hokkaido 9th district. A graduate of Keio University's Faculty of Law, he previously worked at MUFG Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities before founding his own consulting firm and a tourism company. After an unsuccessful bid in 2024, he was elected to the Diet in February 2026 and subsequently joined the Aso faction.

Tatsumaru Yamaoka is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, currently in his fifth term. Born in Tokyo, he is the son of former National Public Safety Commission Chairman Kenji Yamaoka and the grandson of novelist Sohachi Yamaoka. After graduating from Keio University, he worked as a journalist for NHK before entering politics. Throughout his career, he has been affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Party of Hope, the Democratic Party for the People, and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, before joining the Center Reform Alliance in 2026. Yamaoka is known for his opposition to constitutional revision, particularly Article 9, and his stance against the exercise of the right to collective self-defense and the consumption tax hike. He emphasizes regional economic revitalization and social welfare policies.

Hiroshi Kamiya is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives. Born in Tokyo, he worked as a secretary to lawmakers before entering electoral politics. He has consistently advocated for progressive social policies, including the introduction of selective separate surnames for married couples and the legalization of same-sex marriage. A proponent of constitutional pacifism, he opposes the revision of Article 9 and the expansion of security laws. In 2026, he joined the newly formed Chudo Kaikaku Rengo, emphasizing a centrist approach to politics that prioritizes social welfare and peace-building efforts.

Koichi Nakagawa is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Hokkaido 11th district. Born in the Netherlands, he graduated from Waseda University and previously worked at Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance. He comes from a prominent political family, being the grandson of former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ichiro Nakagawa. He was elected to the Diet in February 2026 after defeating incumbent Kaori Ishikawa.

Arata Takebe is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, currently in his sixth term. A graduate of Waseda University and the University of Chicago, he previously worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan before entering politics as a secretary to his father, former LDP Secretary-General Tsutomu Takebe. He has held several government posts, including Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Politically, he is known for his conservative stances, including opposition to selective married-surname systems and support for constitutional revision.

Eri Tokunaga is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Councillors, currently in her third term. Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, she began her career as a television reporter and producer before entering politics. She was first elected to the House of Councillors in 2010 representing the Hokkaido constituency. Throughout her parliamentary career, she has held significant leadership roles within the Constitutional Democratic Party, including Policy Research Council Chair and head of the Gender Equality Promotion Headquarters. Tokunaga is known for her advocacy on social issues, including support for selective separate surnames for married couples, same-sex marriage, and the introduction of a quota system for political representation. She maintains a critical stance on constitutional revision and the expansion of defense spending.

Gaku Hasegawa is a Japanese politician and entrepreneur currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors, representing the Hokkaido constituency. Before entering national politics, he was a prominent figure in regional development, most notably as the founder and organizer of the YOSAKOI Soran Festival in Sapporo. First elected to the House of Councillors in 2010, he has held several government and party positions, including State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. His political career has been marked by a focus on regional revitalization and digital transformation, though he has also faced public scrutiny regarding his communication style with local government officials and various personal controversies. He continues to serve in the Liberal Democratic Party, recently taking on the role of Acting Chairman of the Policy Research Council.

Harumi Takahashi is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors, representing the Hokkaido constituency. Before entering national politics, she served as the Governor of Hokkaido for four terms from 2003 to 2019, becoming the first woman to hold that office in the prefecture's history. A former bureaucrat at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, she has held various government positions, including Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance. Her political career has focused on regional development, digital transformation, and infrastructure improvement in Hokkaido. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and has served as the director of the party's Women's Bureau.

Kenji Katsube is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors, representing the Hokkaido constituency. A former elementary school teacher with 19 years of experience, he began his political career as a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly, where he served for four terms and held the position of Deputy Speaker. Since entering national politics, he has served as the Chairman of the Committee on Education, Culture and Science and the Chairman of the Committee on Discipline in the House of Councillors. Katsube is affiliated with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, where he has held leadership roles including Deputy Secretary-General and representative of the party's Hokkaido federation. His policy interests include education reform, particularly the implementation of small-class teaching.

Toshimitsu Funahashi is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors. Born in Kitami, Hokkaido, he previously served as a member of the House of Representatives for two terms and held positions including Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance. A graduate of Hokkai-Gakuen University, he began his political career in the Kitami City Council and the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly. Funahashi is known for his conservative policy stances, including support for constitutional reform, the reactivation of nuclear power plants, and the promotion of Abenomics. He has also been active in various parliamentary leagues, including those focused on tobacco and Shinto traditions.

Tsuyohito Iwamoto is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Councillors, currently in his second term. Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, he previously served five terms as a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly. During his legislative career, he has held significant roles including Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense and Chair of the Committee on Environment in the House of Councillors. Iwamoto, who holds qualifications as a child welfare worker and has experience in managing educational facilities, is affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party. He is known for his background in sports, having been a baseball pitcher, and comes from a family with a long history of political service in Hokkaido.

Hidetake Usuki is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives for the Democratic Party for the People. After graduating from Shinshu University and completing his studies at Niigata University Law School, he spent over a decade working as a policy secretary for various Diet members, including Masaharu Nakagawa and Kentaro Genma. He gained significant experience in parliamentary affairs before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2024. He currently represents the Hokkaido proportional block, focusing on national policy and party youth initiatives.

Yuri Yoshida is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, representing the Hokkaido proportional block. Born in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, she graduated from Hokusei Gakuen University Junior College. Before entering politics, she worked in corporate accounting and as a yoga instructor. She later served as a secretary to House member Yoshiaki Wada for five years before winning her first term in the 2026 general election.

Hidemichi Sato is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives. Born in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, he began his career as a journalist for the Komei Shimbun before entering politics as a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly, where he served five terms. Since his election to the national Diet in 2012, he has held several key positions, including State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and State Minister of Cabinet Office. Sato has been a prominent figure within the Komei Party, serving as its acting secretary-general and head of the Hokkaido headquarters. In 2026, he was re-elected to the House of Representatives representing the Centrist Reform Alliance.

Yoshitaka Ito is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives. A long-time member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has held several high-level government positions, including Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Regional Revitalization, and Ainu Policy in the Ishiba Cabinet. Before his national career, Ito served as a member of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and as the Mayor of Kushiro. An amateur painter and former art teacher, he has been a consistent advocate for regional development and agricultural policy. Politically, he is known for his conservative stances, including support for constitutional amendment and the strengthening of Japan's defense capabilities.

Koichi Watanabe is a Japanese politician and dentist currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives. Born in Tokyo and raised in Bibai, Hokkaido, he previously served as the Mayor of Iwamizawa for three terms, where he focused on municipal mergers and regional development. Following his transition to national politics, he has held several government positions, including State Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense. Watanabe is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and has been involved in various policy areas, including economic stimulus and national security. He continues to represent Hokkaido's 10th district in the Diet.

Muneo Suzuki is a veteran Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors. Throughout his long career, he has held several high-level government positions, including Minister of State for Hokkaido Development and Okinawa Development, and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary. Known for his focus on diplomacy, particularly regarding Russia and the Northern Territories, he founded the regional party New Party Daichi in 2005. Despite a significant political hiatus following a conviction in a corruption scandal in 2010, he returned to national politics in 2019. After a period with the Japan Innovation Party, he rejoined the Liberal Democratic Party in 2025 and continues to serve in the Diet.

Hideki Higashino is a Japanese politician currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors, having been elected in the 2025 general election. Born in 1971 in Furen-cho (now Nayoro City), Hokkaido, he is a fifth-generation rice farmer with extensive experience in the agricultural sector. Prior to his parliamentary career, he held leadership roles within the JA Dohoku Nayoro agricultural cooperative and served as a representative auditor for the Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives. Recognized as a Hokkaido Instructor Farmer, he has focused his career on agricultural policy and rural development. His personal motto is 'Bloom where you are planted,' reflecting his commitment to his community and the agricultural industry.

Shinichi Yokoyama is a Japanese politician and doctor of fisheries science currently serving as a member of the House of Councillors. A member of the Komeito party, he has held several high-level government positions, including State Minister of Finance and State Minister for Reconstruction. Before entering national politics, he served two terms in the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly and worked as a researcher in the Hokkaido fisheries department. Yokoyama is known for his focus on regional revitalization, the development of primary industries such as agriculture and fisheries, and support for disability welfare. He is also an advocate for the introduction of a selective separate surname system for married couples.

Tomoko Ukishima is a Japanese politician and former professional ballerina currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives. After a successful career as a principal dancer in Hong Kong and the United States, she entered politics, previously serving in the House of Councillors and holding various government roles, including State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and State Minister of the Cabinet Office. She is known for her advocacy in arts and culture and supports the introduction of selective separate surnames for married couples.

Nagisa Muraki is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Hokkaido proportional block. Born in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, she graduated from Hokkai-Gakuen University and previously worked in the home care sector. She was elected in the 2026 general election as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party and subsequently joined the Aso faction. As a young lawmaker, she has garnered public attention for her unexpected election and initial parliamentary activities.

Katsuhiro Akimoto is a Japanese politician currently serving his third term as the Mayor of Sapporo. Born in Yubari, Hokkaido, he graduated from Hokkaido University's Faculty of Law and began his career as a civil servant in the Sapporo City government in 1979. Over the course of his administrative career, he held various leadership roles, including Deputy Mayor, before being elected mayor in 2015. During his tenure, he gained national attention for implementing Japan's first municipal partnership oath system for same-sex couples in 2017. While he initially pursued a bid to host the Winter Olympics in Sapporo, he ultimately abandoned these efforts in 2023 following a decline in public support and concerns regarding the bidding process.