Katsuyuki Kawai


Katsuyuki Kawai is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Hiroshima, Hiroshima and graduate of Keio University, he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 1993 after serving in the assembly of Hiroshima Prefecture. He ran again three years later and was elected for the first time, but lost the seat in 2000. He was re-elected in 2003. He was the Minister of Justice from 11 September 2019 to 31 October 2019. He stepped down as the Minister of Justice after reports of overpaying workers of Anri Kawai's political campaign beyond the legal limit.
On June 16, 2020, he and his wife, Anri Kawai, left the Liberal Democratic Party among allegations of buying votes to aid Anri Kawai's campaign for the House of Councilors. They were later arrested by public prosecutors on June 19, 2020 on charges for vote-buying and distributing around 25 million yen to 100 prefectural and city assembly members in Hiroshima in violation of the Public Office Elections Law.