is a retired Japanese politician who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014.Prime Minister of Japan official website - "Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology", retrieved 24 September 2007.
Early life and career He was born in Kyoto to a family of textile wholesalers who had operated the business since the Edo period. He graduated with a BA from Kyoto University's economics department in 1960. At Kyoto University he was a member of the tennis club. Upon graduation Ibuki became a bureaucrat at the Ministry of Finance. He was dispatched to the Japanese embassy in London in 1965, where he stayed for four years.Ibuki official website; accessed 24 September 2007.
Political career
Ibuki entered politics in 1983 at former Finance Minister Michio Watanabe's behest. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and has served in a variety of government positions, including Minister of Labour (1997~98) and National Public Safety Commission chairman (2000~01).
He was appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on 26 September 2006 as a part of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's first cabinet. In this position, he promoted the controversial revision of the Fundamental Law of Education. He was subsequently appointed as Secretary-General of the LDP in September 2007;"Fukuda appoints Ibuki as secretary-general, Tanigaki as policy chief", Mainichi Daily News, 24 September 2007. less than a year later, he was replaced in that position by Taro Aso and was instead appointed as Minister of Finance."Fukuda overhauls Cabinet / LDP executive shakeup also elevates Aso to party No. 2" , The Yomiuri Shimbun, 2 August 2008. He is known for his knowledge of finance and tax and welfare policies.Japan Times, "Fukuda's new lineup", 3 August 2008. He held the post of Finance Minister for less than two months, however, and was replaced by Shōichi Nakagawa in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, appointed on 24 September 2008."Aso elected premier / Announces Cabinet lineup himself; poll likely on Nov. 2" , The Yomiuri Shimbun, 25 September 2008.
On 26 December 2012, Bunmei Ibuki was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan. He presided over the day of his inauguration, the election of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.
Personal life Ibuki is a fluent English speaker. He is a member of the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi,Nippon Kaigi website - 5 years: nipponkaigi.org/voice/5years - 10 years: nipponkaigi.org/about/10years and affiliated to the fundamentalist shinto lobby Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai (神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会). Ibuki is nicknamed "Ibu-King" due to his enduring political influence despite his now-advanced age.
Election history Election Age District Political party Number of votes election results1983 Japanese general election45Kyoto 1st districtLDP58,059winning1986 Japanese general election48Kyoto 1st districtLDP51,514winning1990 Japanese general election52Kyoto 1st districtLDP56,450winning1993 Japanese general election55Kyoto 1st districtLDP48,893winning1996 Japanese general election58Kyoto 1st districtLDP63,094winning2000 Japanese general election62Kyoto 1st districtLDP86,490winning2003 Japanese general election65Kyoto 1st districtLDP83,644winning2005 Japanese general election67Kyoto 1st districtLDP112,848winning2009 Japanese general election71Kyoto 1st districtLDP81,913elected by PR2012 Japanese general election74Kyoto 1st districtLDP69,287winning2014 Japanese general election76Kyoto 1st districtLDP73,684winning2017 Japanese general election79Kyoto 1st districtLDP88,106winning
Honours
: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (29 April 2022)皇居で春の大綬章親授式 伊吹元衆院議長ら18人 (Spring Grand Ribbon Ceremony at the Imperial Palace, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Ibuki and 18 others) - website of Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (29 October 2014)Decoraties Staatsbezoeken Japan en Republiek Korea - website of the Dutch Royal House
References
External links Discussions on Japanese politics and education (Streaming and mp3)