Shinji Tarutoko (樽床 伸二, Tarutoko Shinji, born 6 August 1959) is a Japanese politician and former member of the House of Representatives.
Shinji Tarutoko | |
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樽床 伸二 | |
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Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications | |
In office 1 October 2012 – 26 December 2012 | |
Prime Minister | Yoshihiko Noda |
Preceded by | Tatsuo Kawabata |
Succeeded by | Yoshitaka Shindō |
Member of the House of Representatives | |
In office 22 October 2017 – 28 January 2019 | |
Succeeded by | Sumio Mabuchi |
Constituency | Kinki PR |
In office 31 August 2009 – 16 November 2012 | |
Preceded by | Tomokatsu Kitagawa |
Succeeded by | Tomokatsu Kitagawa |
Constituency | Osaka-12th |
In office 19 July 1993 – 8 August 2005 | |
Succeeded by | Tomokatsu Kitagawa |
Constituency | Osaka-12th (1996–2005) Osaka-7th (1993–1996) |
Personal details | |
Born | Mitoya, Shimane, Japan | 6 August 1959
Political party | Independent |
Other political affiliations | |
Alma mater | Osaka University |
Website | Official website |
Tarutoko was born in Shimane Prefecture on 6 August 1959. He studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management.[1]
Tarutoko was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 1993 election as a member of the defunct Japan New Party.[1] Then he joined the Democratic Party of Japan in 1998.[1]
In June 2010, he declared his intention to run against Naoto Kan for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Japan; had he won, he would have become the next Prime Minister of Japan.[2] However, he was defeated on a 291–129 vote.[3] He was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on 1 October 2012.[1]
He lost his seat in the 16 December 2012 general election to Tomokatsu Kitagawa, who he had defeated in the 2009 election.[4] Tarutoko challenged Kitagawa again in 2014, but failed. He became the top candidate on Kibō no Tō's Kinki proportional representation list in 2017 and was elected back to the House.[5]
Tarutoko resigned his seat on 28 January 2019 to contest the Osaka 12th district by-election, which was called after Kitagawa's death.[6]