Sohei Miyashita (宮下 創平, Miyashita Sohei, 10 November 1927 – 7 October 2013) was a Japanese politician who served as Minister of Health and Welfare from 1998 to 1999, Director-General of the Environmental Agency from 1994 to 1995 and Director-General of the Defense Agency from 1991 to 1992.

Sohei Miyashita
宮下 創平
Minister of Health and Welfare
In office
30 July 1998 – 14 January 1999
Prime MinisterKeizō Obuchi
Preceded byJunichirō Koizumi
Succeeded byYuya Niwa
Director-General of the Environmental Agency
In office
14 August 1994 – 8 August 1995
Prime MinisterTomiichi Murayama
Preceded byShin Sakurai
Succeeded byTadamori Oshima
Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency
In office
5 November 1991 – 12 December 1992
Prime MinisterKiichi Miyazawa
Preceded byYukihiko Ikeda
Succeeded byToshio Nakayama
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
7 October 1979 – 10 October 2003
ConstituencyNagano 3rd district
(1979-1996)
Nagano 5th district
(1996-2003)
Personal details
Born(1927-11-10)10 November 1927
Ina, Nagano, Empire of Japan
Died7 October 2013(2013-10-07) (aged 85)
Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party
ChildrenIchiro Miyashita

A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Miyashita served in the House of Representatives from 1979 to 2003.

Biography

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Miyashita was born in Nagano Prefecture on 10 November 1927 to a family of farmers. He attended the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, but after the academy was abolished under the American occupation he enrolled in the University of Tokyo. He joined the Ministry of Finance after graduating in 1951.[1]

Miyashita had a long career in the Ministry. He was seconded as a secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary Shigeru Hori in 1968. He also worked as a budget examiner. He resigned from the Ministry to run in the 1979 House of Representatives election. He elected for the first time and would serve for seven terms.[1] [2][3][4][5]

Miyashita was a member of the Seiwakai within the Liberal Democratic Party. In December 1990 he became director of the LDP General Affairs Bureau, which handled election measures. Miyashita was appointed director general of the Japan Defense Agency in the cabinet of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa on 5 November 1991, and served in the post until 12 December 1992.[6][7]

Miyashita served as appointed director general of the Environmental Agency to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama from August 1994 to August 1995.[3] Miyashita succeeded Shin Sakurai in the post when the latter resigned from office due to his statements about the role of Japan in World War II.[8]

Miyashita was made subcommitee chairman of the LDP Tax Commission in November 1996 and remained until he was appointed minister of health and welfare in the cabinet of Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi.[9][10] He left in January 1999 and was again made subcommitee chairman of the LDP Tax Commission in July 2000. He continued in that role until his retired from politics by not running in the 2003 election. His son Ichiro Miyashita was elected in his stead.[11][12]

Miyashita died of pneumonia in Tokyo on 7 October 2013.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b "宮下創平の歩み". 宮下創平のホームページ. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. ^ Takao Sebata (5 June 2010). Japan's Defense Policy and Bureaucratic Politics, 1976-2007. University Press of America. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-7618-5082-3.
  3. ^ a b Rei Shiratori (1996). "Description of Japanese Politics in 1995". European Journal of Political Research. 30.
  4. ^ "Obuchi names cabinet". Trends in Japan. 31 July 1998. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Coalition cabinet formed". Trends in Japan. 20 January 1999. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  6. ^ "自民党、国対委員長に梶山氏を起用。". The Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Tokyo. 30 December 1990. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Japanese ministries". Rulers. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  8. ^ "Briefs". St Louis Post-Dispatch. AP/Reuters. 15 August 1994.
  9. ^ "法人税軽減など焦点に、自民税調、週明け本格論議。". The Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Tokyo. 16 November 1996. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Japan's new cabinet lineup". Japan Policy & Politics. 3 August 1998. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  11. ^ "株譲渡益「申告」一本化へ――個人の株離れ懸念、証券界、「源泉」廃止延期求める。". The Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Tokyo. 26 July 2000. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Japan to see US$14.6 billion net tax cut". China Daily. Tokyo. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013 – via Highbeam.
  13. ^ "Sohei Miyashita, a former Minister of Health and Welfare death". Uzuzu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
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House of Representatives (Japan)
Preceded by
Eiji Nonaka
Chair, House of Representatives Audit Committee
1988–1989
Succeeded by
Yasushi Nakamura
Political offices
Preceded by Head of the Japan Defense Agency
1991–1992
Succeeded by
Toshio Nakayama
Preceded by
Shin Sakurai
Head of the Environmental Agency
1994–1995
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Health and Welfare
1998–1999
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Director of the General Affairs Bureau,
Liberal Democratic Party

1990–1991
Succeeded by
Preceded by Subcommittee Chairman of the Tax Research Commission,
Liberal Democratic Party

1996–1998
Succeeded by
Preceded by Subcommittee Chairman of the Tax Research Commission,
Liberal Democratic Party

2000–2003
Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by Chairman of the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery Memorial Foundation
2007–2013
Succeeded by