Hirokazu Matsuno
松野 博一
Official portrait, 2021
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office
4 October 2021 – 14 December 2023
Prime MinisterFumio Kishida
Preceded byKatsunobu Katō
Succeeded byYoshimasa Hayashi[1]
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
In office
3 August 2016 – 3 August 2017
Prime MinisterShinzō Abe
Preceded byHiroshi Hase
Succeeded byYoshimasa Hayashi
Personal details
Born (1962-09-13) 13 September 1962
Kisarazu, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party
Alma materWaseda University

Hirokazu Matsuno (松野 博一, Matsuno Hirokazu, born September 13, 1962) is a Japanese politician who served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from October 2021 until December 2023.[2] He is serving in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.[3]

Career

A native of Kisarazu, Chiba and graduate of Waseda University, Matsuno originally wanted to work in the film industry but instead took a job in advertising at Lion Corporation.[4] He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after an unsuccessful run in 1996.

In the August 3, 2016 reshuffle, Matsuno joined the Shinzō Abe cabinet as Minister of education. Matsuno became the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Cabinet of Japan under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Matsuno is one of several cabinet ministers who resigned from their posts in December 2023 amid allegations of a slush fund involving members of the LDP.[5]

Controversy

Affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi,[6] along with most members of the Abe cabinet, Matsuno denies the existence of the Imperial Japan sex slavery system known under the euphemism 'Comfort women',[7] and in 2014 demanded the revision of the Kono and Murayama statements, considered as landmark declarations from Japanese governments towards the recognition of war crimes.[8]

Matsuno is also a member of the following right-wing Diet groups:[6]

  • Conference of parliamentarians on the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会 - Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai) - NB: SAS a.k.a. Sinseiren, Shinto Political League
  • Japan Rebirth (創生「日本」- Sosei Nippon)

Matsuno has expressed doubt that the 1923 Kantō Massacre occurred.[9][10] In a 2023 press conference, he stated that there was insufficient evidence for the event, directly contradicting a 2009 expert panel of the government's Central Disaster Management Council. Matsuno disavowed the conclusions found by that panel.[9][10]

Slush fund scandal

In November 2023 Japanese prosecutors began voluntarily questioning members of several factions of the LDP, including the largest faction of which Matsuno was a member, on suspicion of receiving slush fund money in the form of revenues from fundraising parties totaling over ¥100 million that had not been reported in political funding statements.[11][12] On December 8, 2023, it was reported that Matsuno allegedly failed to declare over ¥10 million in income over the previous five years.[12] The following day, multiple news outlets reported that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was preparing to replace Matsuno as Chief Cabinet Secretary.[13][14] On December 12 the lower house, of which the LDP holds a majority, voted down a motion of no confidence against Matsuno that had been put forward by the opposing Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.[15] Matsuno submitted his resignation from the cabinet on December 14, 2023, along with several other LDP officials.[5]

References

  1. ↑ https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/12/e77b2863e845-japan-pm-kishida-to-replace-spokesman-other-scandal-hit-ministers.html
  2. ↑ Lies, Elaine (2021-10-03). "Many faces in Japan's new government belong to allies of PM Abe". Reuters.
  3. ↑ 政治家情報 〜松野 博一. JANJAN ザ･選挙 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  4. ↑ Okuyama, Miki (2021-12-29). "How unknown Hirokazu Matsuno became PM Kishida's right-hand man". Nikkei Asia.
  5. 1 2 "Japan PM Kishida to replace 4 Cabinet ministers amid funds scandal". Kyodo News. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 Yoshifumi Tawara - "日本会議の全貌、花伝社" Kadensha, 2016
  7. ↑ "Hawkish education chief Matsuno to uphold government line on ‘comfort women’" - Japan Times - August 18, 2016
  8. ↑ "Cabinet profile, EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTER Hirokazu Matsuno" (Japan Times 2016)
  9. 1 2 "VOX POPULI: Government turning blind eye to 1923 massacre of Koreans is vile | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  10. 1 2 "Don't turn away from the Kanto massacre". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  11. ↑ "Japan PM Kishida grilled over party revenue underreporting claims". Kyodo News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Top spokesman accused of not reporting 10 mil. yen in income: source". Kyodo News. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Japan's prime minister to replace chief cabinet secretary-report". Reuters. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "PM Kishida to sack gov't spokesman Matsuno amid funds scandal: sources". Kyodo News. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Kishida likely to replace 4 ministers on Dec. 14 amid fundraising scandal". Kyodo News. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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