Toshimitsu Motegi


Toshimitsu Motegi is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tsushima Faction, and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet, representing Tochigi Prefecture's fifth electoral district, and has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs since a Cabinet re-shuffle by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe on 11 September 2019.

Early life and education

A native of Ashikaga, Tochigi, Motegi was born on 7 October 1955. He attended the University of Tokyo and received a post-graduate Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Career

Motegi worked for trading company Marubeni Corporation, as a political reporter for Yomiuri Shimbun and at the consultancy McKinsey & Co. He was also a visiting professor at Waseda University's graduate school of Global Information and Telecommunication Studies from 2005 to 2010.
He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993 as a member of the Japan New Party. He joined the LDP in 1995.
Described as an experienced and knowledgeable international businessman, Motegi served in various cabinet positions including vice foreign minister and state minister in charge of Okinawa and the Northern Territories, as well as science and technology policy. On 1 August 2008, Yasuo Fukuda appointed him as state minister in charge of financial services and administrative reforms. On 26 December 2012, Motegi was named as Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry.
He has been moved by Abe to LDP headquarters as head of election strategy.
In 2018, Motegi was revealed to have possibly breached Japan's electoral laws. He was accused of making illegal donations of incense sticks to his constituents through his personal secretary. Opposition parties have been calling for his resignation.
Motegi condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria. He said in a statement: "Japan is deeply concerned that the latest military operation would make the settlement of Syrian crisis more difficult and cause further deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Japan once again underscores its position that the Syrian crisis cannot be solved by any military means."

Personal life

His hobbies include sports, travel, and reading.