Ex-Disaster Management Minister Konoike Dies at 78

December 26, 2018

Tokyo--Former Japanese disaster management minister Yoshitada Konoike has died, it was learned Wednesday. He was 78.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, also served as chairman of the Upper House Budget Committee.

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986 and served two terms in the lower chamber.

In 1995, Konoike switched course to obtain an Upper House seat. He served four terms in the upper chamber.

He assumed the post of disaster management minister in a cabinet of then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and served as deputy chief cabinet secretary when Taro Aso was the prime minister.

Konoike admitted having had contacts with Yasunori Kagoike, former head of Moritomo Gakuen, a private school operator at the center of a favoritism scandal linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife, Akie, but denied having acted as an intermediary.

On grounds of his age and health conditions, Konoike had announced his decision to retire from politics by not running in the Upper House election in summer next year. Jiji Press