Yasuo Ichikawa (一川 保夫, Ichikawa Yasuo, born February 6, 1942) is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature) and is the former Minister of Defence.

Yasuo Ichikawa
一川 保夫
Minister of Defence
In office
2 September 2011 – 13 January 2012
Prime MinisterYoshihiko Noda
Preceded byToshimi Kitazawa
Succeeded byNaoki Tanaka
Personal details
Born (1942-02-06) 6 February 1942 (age 82)
Komatsu, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party
Renewal Party
New Frontier Party
Liberal Party
Democratic Party
Alma materMie University

A native of Komatsu, Ishikawa and graduate of Mie University, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1965 to 1990, and had served in the assembly of Ishikawa Prefecture for two terms since 1991. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996 as a member of the New Frontier Party by proportional representation – he failed to win the Ishikawa 2nd district from Liberal Democrat Yoshirō Mori four times in a row. After losing also his proportional seat in 2005, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007. In 2011, under Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's cabinet, he was selected as Minister of Defense.[1]

In December 2011 he was the subject of a censure motion from the opposition LDP for failing to know the details of the 1995 rape where three US servicemen kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl. This followed his subordinate Satoshi Tanaka speaking with reporters in a bar and using euphemisms for sexual assault to discuss moving the US Futenma airbase. Tanaka was sacked as director of the Okinawa Defense Bureau,[2] and in the cabinet reshuffle of January 13, 2012 Ichikawa was replaced by Naoki Tanaka.[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japan Times, "Cabinet Profiles: Noda Cabinet", 3 September 2011, p. 3.
  2. ^ The Japan Times Upper House censures ministers - Ichikawa, Yamaoka censured in Diet December 10, 2011 Retrieved on August 16, 2012
  3. ^ The Japan Times New Noda Cabinet on tax push January 14, 2012 Retrieved on August 16, 2012

References

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  • 政治家情報 〜一川 保夫〜. JANJAN ザ・選挙 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-10-24.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Defence
2011–2012
Succeeded by
House of Councillors
Preceded by Councillor from Ishikawa
2007–2013
Succeeded by
House of Representatives (Japan)
New creation Representative by proportional representation for Hokuriku-Shin'etsu
1996–2005
Succeeded by
N/A