Since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (鳩山由紀夫) stepped down the day before yesterday, there was an election for the representative among the Democratic Party of Japan today. There were two candidates. Among 420 votes cast Mr. Naoto Kan (菅直人), 63 years old got 291 votes and became the representative. After that he was nominated as the 94th Prime Minister of Japan.
It's been 14 years since somebody whose family members were not politician became a Prime Minister. The last one was Mr. Tomiichi Murayama (村山富市) who resigned in January 1996.
After that Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto (橋本龍太郎), Mr. Keizo Obuchi (小渕恵三) whose fathers were members of the House of Representatives and whose children are also politicians followed. Then Mr. Yoshiro Mori (森喜朗) whose father and grandfather were mayors followed. Then Mr. Junichiro Koizumi (小泉純一郎) whose father and grandfather were also members of House of Representative became the Prime Minister. Now his second son became a politician whose constituency is my residential area.
After that Mr. Shinzo Abe(安倍晋三), Mr. Yasuo Fukuda (福田康夫), Mr. Taro Aso (麻生太郎), and Mr. Yukio Hatoyama followed. Their fathers or grandfathers were also Prime Ministers. We call them seshu giin (世襲議員), hereditary politician. Especially Mr. Hatoyama was 4th generation politician. His father was former Foreign Minister, his grandfather was former Prime Minister, and his great-grandfather was a member of the House of Representative.
Do you have hereditary politicians in your country?
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