Kenta Izumi

Kenta Izumi (泉 健太, Izumi Kenta, born 29 July 1974) is a Japanese politician who has been the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP or CDPJ) since 30 November 2021. He is also a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature), currently for the Kyoto 3rd district.

Kenta Izumi
泉 健太
Izumi in 2022
Leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party
Assumed office
30 November 2021
DeputySeiji Osaka
Preceded byYukio Edano
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
26 April 2016
Preceded byKensuke Miyazaki
ConstituencyKyoto-3rd
In office
10 November 2003 – 12 April 2016
Preceded byShigefumi Okuyama
Constituency
  • Kinki PR (2012–2016)
  • Kyoto-3rd (2003–2012)
Personal details
Born (1974-07-29) 29 July 1974
Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Political partyCDP
Other political
affiliations		DPJ (2000–2016, merger)
DP (2016–2017, split)
Kibō (2017–2018)
DPP (2018–2020)
Alma materRitsumeikan University
Signature

Biography

A native of Sapporo and graduate of Ritsumeikan University,[1] he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003 after an unsuccessful run in 2000.[2]

Izumi was originally a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He later served as Diet affairs chief of Kibō no Tō.[3][4] He also adhered to the Democratic Party for the People until 2020, when he joined the Constitutional Democratic Party.[5]

Izumi was elected as the leader of the CDP in the 2021 Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leadership election on 30 November 2021.[6][7][8][9][5]

Political views

Izumi has been described as centrist and conservative.[10]

Views on constitutional amendments

While opposing reforming Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, he is not against constitutional revision per se.[11] With regards to national security, he rejects the adoption of nuclear weapons and enemy base strike capabilities.[12]

Historical revisionism

On January 4, 2023, Izumi visited Ise Grand Shrine on the same day as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and DPP leader Yūichirō Tamaki. Some liberals, progressives and Christians in Japan criticized them for affirming historical colonialism and trying to revive militarism.[13] However, unlike right-wing Japanese nationalist politicians, he refuses to visit Yasukuni shrine.

When South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol visited Japan on 2023 March 17, Izumi asked about the Statue of Peace issue, which was criticized by the South Korean media. The Statue of Peace is a symbol promoted by the South Korean government and South Korean civic groups to various countries to honor the victims of Comfort women. The CDP insists on removing the Statue of Peace.[14]

Cultural liberalism

Izumi favours same-sex marriage and an LGBT equality law.[15] He also supports reducing dependency on nuclear energy and welcoming greater quotas of foreign workers. He endorses the possibility for women to ascend to the Imperial Throne.[16]

References
  1. 株式会社財界さっぽろ. "泉健太・立憲民主党代表「北海道から平和と繁栄のために声を上げる!」 | 2022年 | 話題の人 | 財界さっぽろ". 財界さっぽろ ONLINE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  2. "泉健太氏単独インタビュー「小学生から政治家にあこがれ」：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  3. "Finance Ministry unit says it will probe Moritomo document-tampering allegation". The Japan Times. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. Osaki, Tomohiro (14 November 2017). "Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike quits as head of opposition Kibo no To". The Japan Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. "Kenta Izumi elected leader of Japan's main opposition in runoff". Nikkei Asia. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  6. "Izumi Elected Japan Opposition CDP's New Leader". Nippon.com. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  7. Johnston, Eric. "Japan's main opposition party seeks to rebuild under new leader Kenta Izumi". The Japan Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  8. "Izumi elected leader of Japan's main opposition in runoff vote". The Mainichi. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  9. "Japan's largest opposition elects new leader". NHK WORLD News. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  10. "Editorial: New leader of Japan's opposition CDP faces rocky road to rejuvenate party". The Mainichi. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021. Izumi, 47, is a conservative, centrist young leader
  11. "候補者詳細｜候補者アンケート｜zero選挙2021（衆議院選挙）｜日本テレビ".
  12. "立憲 近畿 泉健太 | 第49回衆院選".
  13. "同盟教団「教会と国家」委が首相らの伊勢神宮参拝に抗議　2023年2月1日" (in Japanese). The Christ Newspaper. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  14. "화이트리스트 복원도 적반하장…일본 "한국 자세에 달렸다"". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. 제1야당인 입헌민주당의 이즈미 겐타 대표는 이날 윤 대통령과 만나 한·일 갈등 현안인 '레이더-초계기' 문제와 소녀상 건립 문제를 언급했다고 밝혔다. 입헌민주당은 그동안 소녀상 철거를 요구해왔다.
  15. "[Nhk衆議院選挙]京都市伏見区・向日市など京都３区の候補者アンケート - 衆院選2021 NHK".
  16. "立憲 近畿 泉健太 第49回衆院選 毎日新聞". mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. Retrieved 13 December 2021.


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