Katsuya Okada

Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Leader of the Opposition
In office 14 December 2014 – 1 October 2016
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Banri Kaieda
Succeeded by	Renhō
In office 18 August 2004 – 17 September 2005
Prime Minister	Junichiro Koizumi
Preceded by	Naoto Kan
Succeeded by	Seiji Maehara
President of the Democratic Party
In office 14 December 2014 – 1 October 2016
Preceded by	Banri Kaieda
Succeeded by	Renhō
In office 18 August 2004 – 17 September 2005
Preceded by	Naoto Kan
Succeeded by	Seiji Maehara
Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
In office 13 January 2012 – 26 December 2012
Prime Minister	Yoshihiko Noda
Preceded by	Naoto Kan (2009 - 2010)
Succeeded by	Tarō Asō
Minister of Administrative Reform
In office 13 January 2012 – 26 December 2012
Prime Minister	Yoshihiko Noda
Preceded by	Akira Amari (2008 - 2009)
Succeeded by	Tomomi Inada
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 16 September 2009 – 17 September 2010
Prime Minister	Yukio Hatoyama Naoto Kan
Preceded by	Hirofumi Nakasone
Succeeded by	Seiji Maehara
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 February 1990
Constituency	Mie 3rd district
Personal details
Born	(1953-07-14) 14 July 1953 (age 68) Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan
Political party	CDP
Other political affiliations	LDP (Before 1994) NFP (1994–96) Sun Party (1996–98) GGP (1998) DPJ (1998–2016) DP (2016–2017) Independent (2017-2020)
Spouse(s)	Tatsuko Okada
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Tokyo Harvard University
Profession	Bureaucrat Politician
Website	Official website

Katsuya Okada (岡田 克也, Okada Katsuya, born 14 July 1953) is a Japanese politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Japan from January to December 2012. A member of the House of Representatives of Japan, he was the President of the Democratic Party, and previously of the Democratic Party of Japan. He also served as Secretary-General of the DPJ three times. During the DPJ's period in government he was Foreign Minister of Japan.^[1]

In 2016, he remained as leader when the Democratic Party of Japan merged with the Japan Innovation Party to become the Democratic Party.^[2]

Early life and education[]

Okada was born on 14 July 1953. He is the second son of Takuya Okada, who is a co-founder of AEON Group.^[3] His elder brother, Motoya Okada, is the President and CEO of AEON Group. He has a younger brother and a half-sister. A native of Yokkaichi, Mie, Okada graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in law, and entered the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. He also studied at Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in Harvard University.^[4]

Political career[]

With Hillary Clinton (centre) and Stephen Smith (right). (21 September 2009)

Okada ran for the House of Representatives at the 1990 general election from LDP, representing Mie Prefecture's third district, and later joined the Takeshita faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, and followed faction leaders Tsutomu Hata and Ichirō Ozawa to join the Japan Renewal Party in 1993.^[3] Through a series of splits and mergers, Okada then became a member of the New Frontier Party, Sun Party, and Minseito, finally entering the DPJ upon its merger with Minseito in 1998.^[3]

He became president of the DPJ on 18 May 2004, and led the DPJ to one of its largest electoral victories in history during the 2004 House of Councillors election. However, he resigned after his party suffered dramatic losses in the September 2005 general election.^[5]

Okada ran for the presidency in 2009 but lost to Yukio Hatoyama. Following the success of the DPJ in the 2009 general election, Hatoyama selected Okada to be the foreign minister.^[6]

Okada was regarded as a possible successor of Hatoyama when Hatoyama announced his resignation as Prime Minister and DPJ leader in June 2010,^[7] but Okada gave his support to Finance Minister Naoto Kan, who quickly emerged as the likely successor to Hatoyama. Ichirō Ozawa, however, whose resignation had also been reported announced by Hatoyama, was still supporting another less well known possible successor, Shinji Tarutoko, 50, a legislator who leads the environmental policy committee in the lower house of Parliament, a day before the DPJ leadership elections.^[8] After being selected as the new prime minister, Kan reaffirmed Okada as foreign minister.^[9]

As foreign minister, Okada was one of the chief participants in negotiations with the United States (US) over the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa. The Foreign Ministry under Okada also confirmed the existence of a long-rumored secret pact between Japan and US which had allowed the US military to carry nuclear weapons into Japanese territory in contravention of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. The previous administration under the LDP had denied that such a pact existed.^[9]

In a September 2010 cabinet reshuffle, Okada was moved from foreign minister to secretary general of the DPJ.^[10] Okada, who is viewed as an intraparty ally of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, is believed to have been given the role of secretary general in order to secure Kan's influence in the governing party,^[11] as well as to help force the passage of government bills in parliament.^[12]

Okada ran in the DPJ leadership election held in January 2015 after former president Banri Kaieda resigned after losing his seat. Okada won and returned as DPJ leader after a period of nine years.

In 2016, he remained as leader when the Democratic Party of Japan merged with the Japan Innovation Party to become the Democratic Party.^[13] Following the party's defeat at the House of Councillors election in July, he announced that he would not seek re-election as leader at the party's annual meeting in September.^[14]

Other interests[]

Okada is said to be an avid collector of frog knick knacks, which decorate his office.^[6]

See also[]

• Aeon Group
• Chunichi Shimbun - Japanese largest left-leaning / Progressive newspaper. His younger brother is an employee of the newspaper.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website for Okada