PROFILE
PROFILE
Masaharu NAKAGAWA
Member of the House of Representatives, the National Diet of Japan (Mie No. 2 District, Mie Prefecture / elected 9 times)
Nakagawa started his career at the Japan Foundation. After serving as a member of Mie Prefectural Assembly for 12 years (3 terms), he was first elected as a Member of the House of Representatives in 1996.
As the Next Finance Minister of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), he dedicated himself to creating the manifesto for the 2009 summer election.
Nakagawa went on to serve as Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in the 2009 DPJ administration led by PM Yukio Hatoyama. During the 2010 Naoto Kan administration, he was appointed Chair of Foreign Relations and Security Research Committee in the ruling party. In the subsequent Yoshihiko Noda administration, he was sworn in as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Finally, he was given the portfolio of Disaster Management, New Public Commons, Gender Equality and Civil Service Reform in 2012.
After the 2012 national election, Nakagawa served as Acting Secretary General of the DPJ, then the main opposition party. He worked hard, striving to rehabilitate the DPJ in the Diet. Following the launch of the Democratic Party (DP), he served as Chair of the General Meeting of DP Diet Members. He is actively involved in issues such as joint studies of the histories of Japan and South Korea, e-books, ethnic groups in Myanmar, and promoting the acceptance of foreigners and multicultural coexistence society.
- Personal motto
- Live in harmony with others and never flatter others.
- Hobbies
- Mountain climbing, reading, watching movies, fishing, and gardening, playing ocarina
- Family
- wife, two sons and two daughters, nine grandchildren.
- Education
- Graduated from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service in June 1973
- Birth
- Born in Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture on June 10, 1950
OFFICE
Tokyo, Diet Member's Office
- Address
- #519 Diet Member's Building 1st 2-2-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8981 JAPAN
- Tel
- +81-3-3508-7128
- Fax
- +81-3-3508-3428
- g03063@shugiin.go.jp
Mie Office
- Address
- 7-1-5 Kambe, Suzuka-shi, Mie 513-0801 JAPAN
- Tel
- +81-59-381-3513
- Fax
- +81-59-381-3514
Career
- 2024.1-present
- Chairman of the Committee on Discipline
- 2021.12-2024.1
- Senior Director, Commission on the Constitution
- 2021.12-2024.1
- Chair of CDP Constitutional Research Committee
- 2021.12-2023.1
- Member of the Committee on Financial Affairs
- 2017.11-2021.12
- Member of the Commission on the Constitution
- 2020.9-2021.12
- Chair of General Meeting of CDP Diet Members
- 2018.10-2021.12
- Member of the Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 2017.11-2018.10
- Member of the Committee on Cabinet
- 2016.9-2017.11
- Chair of General Meeting of DP Diet Members
Member of the Commission on the Constitution
Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs - 2016.1-2016.9
- Chairman of the Committee on Discipline
- 2015.1-2016.9
- Chair, DPJ Caucus in the House of Representatives
- 2014.9-2015.1
- DPJ Next Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology
- 2012.12-2014.9
- Acting Secretary General of the DPJ
- 2012.2-2012.9
- Minister of State for Disaster Management
1.Renew the national plan for disaster prevention
2.Submit Bill regarding special measures for a Nankai Trough quake response
Minister of State for New Public Commons (Concurrent)
1.Amend the Act on Promotion of PFI to urge private-public partnership
2.Provide a comprehensive plan for multi-cultural society
Minister of State for Gender Equality (Concurrent)
1.Pass legislation regarding the Definite Plan to Comprehensive Reform of Social Security and Tax, including the support of children and child- raising and employment of young people
2.Promote to set the counselor’s comprehensive support and consultancy desk to prevent suicide, social withdraw and abuse
Minister in charge of Civil Service Reform (Concurrent)
1.Amend the National Public Service Act to improve labor conditions
2.Promote major reform of independent administrative corporations - 2011.9-2012.1
- Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1.Introduce and establish a new program to send Japanese youngsters abroad to teach Japanese language in developing countries, which would give them the opportunity for cultural exchange (the so-called Reverse JET Program)
2.Introduce the tuition fee exemption for all public high school students
3.Set up Geiger counters for testing food at all schools and other public buildings - 2009.9-2010.9
- Senior Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1.Expand opportunity for permanent alien residents in Japan to study Japanese language
2.Support cooperation between academia and business community in high-end science technology sectors, as well as to craft policy so that investments to drug discovery, tissue engineering, renewable energy and materials engineering could be practically materialized to actual use (“The Bridge to Tomorrow” Project)
3.Creating the national platform system for e-books (electronic books) - 1983-1995
- Member, Mie Prefectural Assembly (elected 3 times)
- 1975-1977
- The Japan Foundation
Parliamentary Committees
（House of Representatives）
- 2024.1-present
- Chairman of the Committee on Discipline
- 2021.12-2024.1
- Senior Director, Commission on the Constitution
- 2021.12-2023.1
- Member of the Committee on Financial Affairs
- 2017.11-2021.12
- Member of the Commission on the Constitution
- 2018.10-2021.12
- Member of the Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 2017.11-2018.10
- Member of the Committee on Cabinet
- 2016.9-2017.11
- Member of the Commission on the Constitution
Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs - 2016.1-2016.9
- Chairman of the Committee on Discipline
- 2015.1-2015.12
- Senior Director, Deliberative Council on Political Ethics
Member, Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Member, Commission on the Constitution - 2014.9-2015.1
- Senior Director, Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Member, Special Committee on Disasters - 2013.10-2014.9
- Senior Director, Special Committee for Investigation of Nuclear Power Issues
Member, Committee on Security
Member, Special Committee on Disasters - 2013.1-2013.10
- Member, Committee on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Member, Special Committee on Disasters - 2012.10-2012.12
- Member, Committee on Cabinet
Member, Commission on the Constitution
Member, Deliberative Council on Political Ethics - 2010.10-2011.8
- Senior Director, Committee on Budget
- 2007.9-2009.9
- Senior Director, Committee on Financial Affairs
Member, Committee on Budget - 2006.9-2007.9
- Director, Committee on Budget
Member, Special Committee on Prevention of International Terrorism and Japan's Cooperation
and Support; Humanitarian Assistance for Reconstruction in Iraq
Member, Special Committee for Research on the Constitution of Japan - 2005.9-2006.9
- Senior Director, Committee on Rules and Administration
- 2004.11-2005.9
- Member, Special Committee on North Korean Abductions and Other Issues
- 2004.10-2005.9
- Director, Research Commission on the Constitution
- 2004.1-2004.5
- Member, Committee on Fundamental National Policies
- 2003.6-2004.10
- Senior Director, Special Committee on Prevention of International Terrorism and Japan's
Cooperation and Support, Humanitarian Assistance for Reconstruction in Iraq - 2003.1-2004.1
- Member, Committee on Audit and Oversight of Administration
- 2002.1-2003.1
- Senior Director, Committee on Foreign Affairs
- 2001.9-2002.1
- Director, Committee on Financial Affairs
- 1999.10-2003.1
- Member, Special Committee on Children and Youth Affairs
Party Posts
- 2021.12-2024.1
- Chair, Constitutional Research Committee
- 2020.9-2021.12
- Chair, General Meeting of CDP Diet Members
- 2019.9-2020.9
- Executive Adviser of CDP(The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan)
- 2016.9-2017.11
- Chair of General Meeting of DP Diet Members
- 2016.3-2016.9
- Chair, DP(The Democratic Party) Caucus in the House of Representatives
- 2015.1-2016.3
- Chair, DPJ(The Democratic Party of Japan) Caucus in the House of Representatives
- 2014.9-2015.1
- DPJ Next Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology
- 2012.12-2014.9
- Acting Secretary General of the DPJ
- 2012.1-2012.2
- Chair, Research Committee on Administrative Reform
- 2010.9-2011.9
- Chair of the DPJ Foreign Relations and Security Research Committee
1.Dedicate substantial time and commitment in recommending the concept of Dynamic Defense Force when the DPJ government set out the National Defense Program Guidelines for FY 2011 and beyond - 2007.9-2009.9
- Shadow Cabinet, Minister of Finance
Deputy Head, DPJ Abduction Issue Strategy Headquarters - 2006.2-2007.9
- General Vice-Chair, Diet Affairs Committee
Deputy Head, DPJ Abduction Issue Strategy Headquarters - 2005.9-2006.2
- Vice-Chair, Diet Affairs Committee
Deputy Head, DPJ Abduction Issue Strategy Headquarters - 2004.1-2005.9
- Chair, Research Commission on the Tax System
Deputy Chief Secretary, Research Commission on the Constitution; National Security Division - 2003.12-2005.9
- Secretary-General, DPJ Abduction Issue Strategy Headquarters
- 2003.12-2005.9
- Chair, North Korean Issue Project Team
- 2002.12-2004.5
- Deputy Chair, Policy Research Committee
- 2001.9-2006.2
- Leader, Mie Prefectural Headquarters