Junichiro Koizumi

Junichiro Koizumi , 1942-, Japanese political leader, b. Yokosuka. From a political family, he studied economics at Keio Univ. (grad. 1967). He entered politics in 1970 as a member of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP), and two years later was elected to the Diet. Koizumi served as minister of health and welfare in 1988 and from 1996 to 1997. As the leader of a grassroots element of the LDP, with a reputation as a rebel fighting against the party's entrenched conservative leadership, he was elected party president in 2001 and shortly thereafter succeeded Yoshiro Mori as prime minister. A colorful figure, he pledged to lift Japan from its economic malaise, revise its constitution, privatize government-owned businesses, modernize its political system, improve relations with its Asian neighbors, and eliminate factionalism from the LDP. Achieving those goals proved difficult, however, as reform was resisted by the entrenched bureaucracy and by LDP factions that would be affected by reform, and Koizumi's government soon came largely to resemble those of his predecessors. He did ultimately achieve cuts in public spending and make progress in deregulation; he also made a landmark visit to North Korea in 2002, which led to the establishment of diplomatic relations. Defeat of his postal privatization plan in 2005, in part by LDP Diet members, led to a snap election in which Koizumi secured a large majority in the lower house; the plan was subsequently passed. He retired as party president and prime minister in 2006.

Koizumi, Junichiro (b. 8 Jan. 1942). Prime Minister of Japan, 2001–  Born in Yokosuka City in the Kanagawa Prefecture, he graduated from the faculty of economics at Keio University and entered politics. In 1972 he entered the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, and in 1979 became Vice-Minister of Finance. Koizumi became Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP, and in 1988 he entered the cabinet as Minister of Health and Welfare. Koizumi came from the heart of the LDP's establishment, as his father and grandfather had been ministers of the LDP. However, he lost his bids for the LDP leadership in 1995 and 1998 due to his outspoken and unorthodox manner. This helped him in 2001, when in a deep party crisis he was seen as sufficiently detached from the traditional party elite to revive the government. He became leader of the LDP and Prime Minister, and led his party to a surprise victory in the elections to the upper house that year. Koizumi vowed to undertake the necessary structural reforms to overcome his country's deep economic recession. Despite his initial popularity, he found it difficult to introduce austerity policies against entrenched interests within his party and the finance ministry.