Shintaro Watanabe
Shintaro Watanabe | |
|---|---|
渡邉 真太朗 | |
 Watanabe in 2026 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 9 February 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Kazuo Yana |
| Constituency | Tochigi 3rd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 November 1992 Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi, Japan |
| Party | Independent[a] |
| Alma mater | Gakushuin University |
| Website | Shintaro Watanabe website |
Shintaro Watanabe (渡邊 真太朗, Watanabe Shintaro; born 8 November 1992) is a Japanese politician, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.[1]
Early years
On 8 November 1992, Watanabe was born in Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi. After graduating from Gakushuin University's Faculty of Economics, he joined Ashikaga Bank in 2016. In 2018, he resigned from the Ashikaga Bank and worked as a staff member at the supporters' association office for Tochigi Governor Tomikazu Fukuda until the end of 2021. He then entered the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management in 2022, graduating early on 20 September 2024.[2]
Political career
On 3 October 2024, Watanabe announced his candidacy for Tochigi 3rd district.[3] In the 2024 general election, he lost to LDP incumbent Kazuo Yana by only 178 votes.[4]
In the 2026 general election, Ōtawara mayor Kenichi Sōma, Nasukarasuyama mayor Junko Kawamata, and Nakagawa mayor Sumie Mashiko supported Watanabe, not Yana.[5] As a result of election, he defeated LDP incumbent Yana.[6]
In the 2026 Ōtawara mayoral election, he supported incumbent Sōma and Sōma defeated Tatsuo Hikichi, who was a former chair of the City Council and endorsed by LDP's Yana.[7]
Scandal
In January 2026, it was revealed that Yana's political activity posters displayed within Tochigi 3rd district had been removed without permission and replaced with those of Watanabe. Consequently, Yuho Shibui, a Nasukarasuyama City Council member who supported Watanabe, along with Watanabe's father, had been referred to the Utsunomiya District Public Prosecutors Office in December 2025 on suspicion of property damage. In response to an interview by Tochigi Television, Watanabe's office commented, "To ensure that such an incident never occurs again, we will strictly adhere to a policy of legal compliance."[8]
Notes
- ↑ Watanabe is registered as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party
References
- ↑ "WATANABE Shintaro". House of Representatives of Japan. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "Profile". Shintaro Watanabe official website (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "衆院栃木3区に無所属新人の渡辺真太朗氏が出馬表明 元銀行員で松下政経塾出身". NHK (in Japanese). 3 October 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "栃木3区 衆議院選挙". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 27 October 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "衆院選栃木3区 無所属・渡辺真太朗氏が初当選「勝利は皆さんのもの」 自民・簗氏は比例復活、本紙取材に応じず". Shimotsuke Shimbun (in Japanese). 8 February 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "栃木3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 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "大田原市長選 相馬氏再選、財政再建の実績を強調". The Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 23 March 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "衆議院議員・簗氏の政治活動ポスターを無断撤去か 那須烏山市議ら２人書類送検". Tochigi TV (in Japanese). 9 January 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.