Kōichi Watanabe

Kōichi Watanabe
渡辺 孝一
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 February 2026
Preceded byMulti-member district
ConstituencyHokkaido PR
In office
17 December 2012 – 9 October 2024
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byMulti-member district
ConstituencyHokkaido PR
Mayor of Iwamizawa
In office
October 2002 – 31 July 2012
Preceded byKuniyuki Nose
Succeeded bySatoru Matsuno
Personal details
Born (1957-11-25) 25 November 1957
Kita ward, Tokyo, Japan
PartyLDP
RelativesShōichi Watanabe (father)
Alma materHealth Sciences University of Hokkaido

Kōichi Watanabe (渡辺 孝一, Watanabe Kōichi; born 25 November 1957) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.[1]

Early years

In 1957, Watanabe was born in Kita ward, Tokyo. He graduated from the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido.[2]

After graduating from university, he worked as an associate at a dental clinic before opening his own practice in Iwamizawa in 1991. In 1996, he was appointed President of the Iwamizawa Junior Chamber, and he has also served as the Chairperson of both the Iwamizawa PTA Federation and the Sorachi PTA Federation.[2]

Political career

In 2002, Watanabe ran for the mayor of Iwamizawa and won. He had served the office until 2012.[2]

In the 2012 general election, Watanabe announced his candidacy for the Hokkaido 10th district, a seat his father, Shōichi Watanabe, had previously contested. However, Hisashi Inatsu, a member of the House of Representatives (Komeito), also declared his candidacy for the Hokkaido 10th. Due to the electoral cooperation with Komeito, the LDP initially decided not to field its own candidate in the Hokkaido 10th. This decision met with strong opposition from Watanabe and the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly members supporting him, who considered running him as an independent. Following negotiations led by the LDP headquarters, a compromise was reached: in exchange for allowing Inatsu to run in the Hokkaido 10th, the party agreed to place Watanabe at the top of the LDP's party list of Hokkaido PR. As a result of election, he won a seat in the PR.[3]

In the 2014 general election, Watanabe won a seat in the PR.[4]

In the 2017 general election, Watanabe won a seat in the PR.[5]

In September 2019, Watanabe was appointed to the Parliamentary Secretary for Defense and the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office in the Fourth Abe second reshuffled cabinet.[6]

In October 2021, Watanabe was appointed to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the First Kishida cabinet.[7]

In the 2021 general election, Watanabe won a seat in the PR.[8] After the election, he was re-appointed to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the Second Kishida cabinet.[9]

In September 2023, Watanabe was appointed to the State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the Second Kishida second reshuffled cabinet.[10]

In the 2024 LDP presidential election, Watanabe endorsed Yoshimasa Hayashi as a recommender.[11]

In the 2024 general election, Watanabe lost re-election because he was placed low on the party list. [12]

On 3 May 2025, Watanabe applied for the open recruitment of the head of the LDP's Hokkaido 10th branch and tried to run in Hokkaido 10th.[13] After the Komeito left the coalition, the LDP nominated Watanabe as a Hokkaido 10th candidate.

In the 2026 general election, Watanabe lost to CRA's Hiroshi Kamiya only by 21 votes and won a seat in the PR. [14]

Scandal

Allegations of Public Offices Election Act Violations

In June 2018, it was reported that the "LDP Hokkaido House of Representatives Proportional Representation 1st Branch," a political organization headed by Watanabe, spent approximately 239,000 yen on a bus tour for supporters. The expenditures included costs for food and beverages, shrimp for souvenirs, and bus rental fees. There were nine participants, each paying a fee of 7,000 yen. While the political funds-expenditure report recorded a total income of 63,000 yen from these fees, the tour resulted in a deficit of approximately 176,000 yen. Following the publication of the report, media outlets pointed out that this discrepancy could potentially violate the Public Offices Election Act, which prohibits donations to voters within an individual's constituency.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Kōichi Watanabe". LDP (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "国会議員情報：渡辺孝一". Jiji Press (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "比例区開票速報：北海道ブロック". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 16 December 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "比例区開票速報：北海道ブロック". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "比例区開票速報：北海道ブロック". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 22 October 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "The fourth ABE Shinzo The second reshuffled Cabinet　List of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Kishida Cabinet List of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "衆院選 北海道ブロック 開票速報". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 31 October 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "The second KISHIDA Cabinet List of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "The second KISHIDA Cabinet The second reshuffled Cabinet List of State Ministers". PM office of Japan. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "自民党総裁選2024、9候補の推薦人名簿一覧180人". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 12 September 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "比例代表 北海道（定数 8）衆院選2024 開票速報". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 27 October 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "自民道１０区支部長公募、渡辺・前衆院議員が応募…次期衆院選へ出馬意欲か". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 3 May 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "北海道１０区 小選挙区【衆議院選挙】開票速報・結果". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 8 February 2026. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "バスツアー不足分負担、自民支部／渡辺孝一防衛政務官が代表". Shikoku Shimbun (in Japanese). 2 December 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
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