Seiji Maehara
Seiji Maehara | |
|---|---|
前原 誠司 | |
Maehara in 2025 | |
| Co-leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai | |
| In office 1 December 2024 – 8 August 2025 | |
| Leader | Hirofumi Yoshimura |
| Preceded by | Hirofumi Yoshimura |
| Succeeded by | Fujita Fumitake |
| Leader of Free Education for All | |
| In office 30 November 2023 – 3 October 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| President of the Democratic Party | |
| In office 1 September 2017 – 1 November 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Renhō |
| Succeeded by | Kohei Otsuka |
| President of the Democratic Party of Japan | |
| In office 17 September 2005 – 7 April 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Katsuya Okada |
| Succeeded by | Ichirō Ozawa |
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | |
| In office 1 October 2012 – 26 December 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Yoshihiko Noda |
| Preceded by | Motohisa Furukawa |
| Succeeded by | Akira Amari |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 17 September 2010 – 7 March 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Naoto Kan |
| Preceded by | Katsuya Okada |
| Succeeded by | Yukio Edano (acting) Takeaki Matsumoto |
| Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – 17 September 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Yukio Hatoyama Naoto Kan |
| Preceded by | Kazuyoshi Kaneko |
| Succeeded by | Sumio Mabuchi |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 18 July 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Eiichi Nagasue |
| Constituency | Kyoto 1st (1993–1996) Kinki PR (1996–2000) Kyoto 2nd (2000–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 April 1962 Kyoto, Japan |
| Party | Ishin (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Alma mater | Kyoto University (LLB) |
| Website | Official website |
Seiji Maehara (前原 誠司, Maehara Seiji; born 30 April 1962) is a Japanese politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives of Japan since 1993. He founded and led the political party, Free Education for All, before its merger into Nippon Ishin no Kai on 3 October 2024. He has been co-leader of Ishin, serving alongside Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura since December 2024.
Beginning his political career in Kyoto, Maehara was initially a member of smaller opposition parties before joining the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), serving as its leader from 2005 to 2006. After the DPJ was victorious in the 2009 general election, Maehara served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Minister of Foreign Affairs under the cabinets of Prime Ministers Yukio Hatoyama and Naoto Kan, before resigning from the cabinet in March 2011 after he acknowledged receiving illegal donations from a South Korean national living in Japan. In 2016, Maehara contested for the leadership of the Democratic Party, the successor party of the DPJ, losing to Renho. He later replaced her as leader on 1 September 2017 until its dissolution later that month. After spending some time with Kibō no Tō and the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP), Maehara founded a new party in 2023, Free Education for All, which was broadly centrist and focused on building a coalition against the LDP. In preparation for the 2024 general election, the party merged with the Osaka-based Ishin no Kai party (Japan Innovation Party). Two months later, he was elected the party's co-leader and representative in the National Diet. Mehara would resign the following summer to take responsibility lackluster results for the party in the 2025 Upper House elections. Being succeed by Fujita Fumitake, Maehra has remained on the backbenches since.
Maehara is viewed as a "China war hawk" and a proponent of close ties with the United States. He is also often viewed as being politically conservative, while supporting socially liberal policies, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage.