萩生田光一

Koichi Hagiuda is a prominent Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives. A long-time ally of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he has held several high-level government and party positions, including Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. He also served as the Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council. Known for his conservative political stances, Hagiuda advocates for constitutional reform, including the explicit mention of the Self-Defense Forces in Article 9, and has been a proponent of strengthening Japan's defense capabilities. Throughout his career, he has faced scrutiny regarding his ties to the Unification Church and his involvement in the LDP's political funding scandal, which led to his resignation from his party post in 2023. Despite these challenges, he remains an influential figure within the party, currently serving as the Acting Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party.