Hakuo Yanagisawa

Hakuo Yanagisawa (Japanese: 柳沢 伯夫, Hepburn: Yanagisawa Hakuo, August 18, 1935 in Fukuroi, Shizuoka) was the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan (2006–2007). He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives. His constituency is Shizuoka Prefecture 3rd District.

Hakuo Yanagisawa
柳澤 伯夫
Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
In office 26 September 2006 – 27 August 2007
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Jirō Kawasaki
Succeeded by	Yōichi Masuzoe
Minister of State for Financial Services
In office 6 January 2001 – 30 September 2002
Prime Minister	Yoshirō Mori
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Heizō Takenaka
Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission
In office 5 December 2000 – 6 January 2001
Prime Minister	Yoshirō Mori
Preceded by	Hideyuki Aizawa
Succeeded by	Position abolished
In office 15 December 1998 – 5 October 1999
Prime Minister	Keizō Obuchi
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Michio Ochi
Minister of State (with responsibility for Financial Reconstruction)
In office 23 October 1998 – 15 December 1998
Prime Minister	Keizō Obuchi
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Head of the National Land Agency
In office 30 July 1998 – 23 October 1998
Prime Minister	Keizō Obuchi
Preceded by	Hisaoki Kamei
Succeeded by	Kichio Inoue
Personal details
Born	(1935-08-18) August 18, 1935 Fukuroi, Shizuoka
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party
Alma mater	Tokyo University

In January 2007, he drew criticism for describing women as "birth-giving machines" and "baby making devices" in a speech on the falling birthrate of Japan.[1][2] He said later "it was extremely sound to have more than two children".[3]

He believes in Tenrikyo.[4]

Career

He is from the city of Fukuroi in Shizuoka Prefecture. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo in 1961. In 1980 he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time, and has been elected eight times since. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs from July 1994 until August 1995, and the Chairman of the Committee on Health and Welfare from March 1998 to July 1998.

In July 1998 he was appointed to be the Minister of State for the National Land Agency by Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi, and became the Minister of State for Financial Reconstruction in October of that year. He was the Minister of State and Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission from December 1998 to October 1999. He then reprised that role from December 2000 to January 2001. He was the Minister of State for Financial Services from January 2001 to September 2002, when he stepped down due to a disagreement with the minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, Heizō Takenaka.[5] He was the Chairman of the Research Commission on the Tax System for the LDP from November 2005 to September 2006. He became the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in September 2006.[6] He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, belonging specifically to the Kōchikai (Koga faction).

References

1. The Guardian: Japanese minister wants 'birth-giving machines', aka women, to have more babies (Justin McCurry in Tokyo dated January 29, 2007)
2. BBC News: Japan women called child machines (27 January 2007, 22:48 GMT)
3. Japan Times: Yanagisawa apologizes anew, adds gaffe(8 February 2007)
4. http://www.jcp.or.jp/akahata/aik07/2007-04-09/2007040914_01_0.html
5. The Japan Times Online Cabinet Profiles - Hakuo Hanagisawa (27 January 2007, 22:48 GMT)
6. Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (27 January 2007, 22:48 GMT)

House of Representatives of Japan
Preceded by Bunmei Ibuki	Chair, Education Committee of House of Representatives of Japan 1995–1996	Succeeded by Koji Futada
Preceded by Kazuyoshi Kaneko	Chair, Health and Welfare Committee of House of Representatives of Japan 1998	Succeeded by Yoshio Kimura
Political offices
Preceded by Hisaoki Kamei	Head of the National Land Agency 1998	Succeeded by Kichio Inoue
New office	Minister of State (with responsibility for Financial Reconstruction) 1998	Succeeded by Himself as Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission
Preceded by Himself as Minister of State (with responsibility for Financial Reconstruction)	Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission 1998–1999	Succeeded by Michio Ochi
Preceded by Hideyuki Aizawa	Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission 2000–2001	Succeeded by Himself as Minister of State for Financial Services
Preceded by Himself as Chairman of the Financial Reconstruction Commission	Minister of State for Financial Services 2001–2002	Succeeded by Heizō Takenaka
Preceded by Jirō Kawasaki	Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan 2006–2007	Succeeded by Yōichi Masuzoe
Party political offices
Preceded by Yūji Tsushima	Chairman of the Tax Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party 2005–2006	Succeeded by Kaoru Yosano