Hajime Tamura

Hajime Tamura (田村 元, Tamura Hajime) (5 May 1924 – 1 November 2014)[1] was a Japanese politician. He held different cabinet posts and served as the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Hajime Tamura
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan
In office 2 June 1989 – 24 January 1990
Monarch	Akihito
Preceded by	Kenzaburo Hara
Succeeded by	Yoshio Sakurauchi
Minister of International Trade and Industry
In office 22 July 1986 – 27 December 1988
Prime Minister	Yasuhiro Nakasone Noboru Takeshita
Preceded by	Michio Watanabe
Succeeded by	Hiroshi Mitsuzuka
Minister of Transport
In office 14 December 1976 – 28 November 1977
Prime Minister	Takeo Fukuda
Preceded by	Hirohide Ishida
Succeeded by	Kenji Fukunaga
Minister of Labour
In office 7 July 1972 – 22 December 1972
Prime Minister	Kakuei Tanaka
Preceded by	Toshio Tsukahara
Succeeded by	Tsunetaro Kato
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 27 February 1955 – 20 October 1996
Personal details
Born	(1924-05-09)9 May 1924 Matsuzaka, Mie
Died	1 November 2014(2014-11-01) (aged 90) Shibuya Tokyo
Alma mater	Keio University

Early life and education

Tamura was born in Matsuzaka, Mie Prefecture, in 1924.[2][3] In 1950, he received a law degree from Keio University.[2][4]

Career and activities

Tamura was a member of the House of Representatives to which he was first elected in 1955.[2][5] He was appointed labour minister in 1972 and transport minister in 1976.[2][4] He served as minister of international trade and industry from 1986 to 1988 in the cabinets led by Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and then by Noboru Takeshita.[6][7][8] When he was in office he apologized to the United States for an export violation committed by a Japanese manufacturer.[9] In a reshuffle in December 1988 Hiroshi Mitsuzuka replaced Tamura as minister of international trade and industry.[8] Tamura became Speaker of the House of Representatives on 2 June 1989, replacing Kenzaburo Hara in the post.[10] Tamura's term ended on 24 January 1990 when Yoshio Sakurauchi was appointed speaker.[10]

Tamura, nicknamed the “wheeler-dealer” in political arena, retired from politics in 1996.[11]

Personal life and death

Tamura was married and has three daughters.[2] Tamura died of natural causes on 1 November 2014 at age 90.[11][12]

References

2. "A Perspective of Japanese/Canadian Economic Ties and Japan's Overseas Economic Policy". Empire Club of Canada. 20 June 1988. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
3. "House of Representatives. Speakers". Rulers. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
4. "All Other Members". Kakuei Tanaka. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
5. "Norihisa Tamura". Kantei. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
6. Clyde Haberman (7 November 1987). "Japan's New Cabinet Gets Old Face". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
7. "Japan's longest-serving trade minister". Xinhuanet. 30 September 2002. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
8. Schoenberger, Karl (28 December 1988). "Takeshita Shuffles Cabinet but Retains Key Ministers". Los Angeles Times. Tokyo. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
9. Michael Henderson (1994). All Her Paths Are Peace: Women Pioneers in Peacemaking. West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press. p. 68. Retrieved 14 October 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
10. "The National Diet of Japan" (PDF). Secretariat of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
11. "Former Lower House speaker Tamura dies at 90". Japan Times. Kyodo. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
12. "元衆院議長の田村元氏死去　当選１４回「政界仕掛け人". Asahi (in Japanese). 4 November 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2015.

House of Representatives of Japan
Preceded by Kinji Moriyama	Chair, Committee on Construction of the House of Representatives 1966	Succeeded by Kunio Morishita
Preceded by Tsuneo Uchida	Chair, Committee on Financial Affairs of the House of Representatives 1968	Succeeded by Masami Tanaka
Preceded by Noboru Takeshita	Chair, Committee on Budget of the House of Representatives 1979–1980	Succeeded by Osanori Koyama
Preceded by Kenzaburo Hara	Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan 1989–1990	Succeeded by Yoshio Sakurauchi
Party political offices
Preceded by Kichirō Tazawa	Chair, Diet Affairs Committee of the Liberal Democratic Party 1981–1982	Succeeded by Hikosaburō Okonigi
Political offices
Preceded by Toshio Tsukahara	Minister of Labour 1972	Succeeded by Tsunetaro Kato
Preceded by Hirohide Ishida	Minister of Transport 1976–1977	Succeeded by Kenji Fukunaga
Preceded by Michio Watanabe	Minister of International Trade and Industry 1986–1988	Succeeded by Hiroshi Mitsuzuka