Kihara Minoru | |
|---|---|
木原 稔 | |
 Minoru Kihara in 2019 | |
| 25th Minister of Defense | |
| Assumed office 13 September 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Fumio Kishida |
| Preceded by | Yasukazu Hamada |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 11 September 2005 - 21 July 2009 18 December 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Yorihisa Matsuno |
| Constituency | Kyushu PR block (2005-2009) Kumamoto 1st district (2012-present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1969 Kumamoto, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | Waseda University |
Minoru Kihara (木原 稔, Kihara Minoru, born August 12, 1969) is a Japanese politician who has served as the Minister of Defense since September 2023. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he also serves in the House of Representatives, and was previously the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense.
Political career[edit]
A native of Kumamoto and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected for the first time in 2005 after working at Japan Airlines until 2004.[1] Kihara announced on September 15, 2023 that he resigned from a cross-party group that enhances Japanese-Taiwanese relations.[2] On October 3, 2023 Kihara visited the United States, where he met with U.S. officials to reaffirm commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance and advance new areas of cooperation.[3] To help meet recruitment goals for Japan's core cyber defense forces, Kihara proposed loosening fitness requirements and offering higher salaries for new recruits.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "政治家情報 〜木原 稔〜". Archived from the original on 2007-12-01.
- ^ "Japan's new defense chief quits as pro-Taiwan group senior member".
- ^ "Japan-U.S. Defense Ministerial Meeting (Summary)". Ministry of Defence. October 6, 2023. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ Kaneko, Kaori; Kelly, Tim; Geddie, John (2024-04-26). "The glitch in Japan's plans to bolster U.S. defense". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
External links[edit]
- Official website in Japanese.
Second Kishida Cabinet (Second Reshuffle) (since 13 September 2023) | ||
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