is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

in the Diet (national legislature). He served as the Minister of Defense from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2017 to 2018.

Early life and education

A native of

Kesennuma, Miyagi is a Cities of Japan, city in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,803 and a population density of in 26,390 households. The total area of the city is . Large sections of the city were destroyed by the 2011 Tōh ...

, Onodera was born on May 5, 1960. He received a bachelor's degree from Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1983. He entered Matsushita Institute of Government and Management in 1990. Then he studied politics at the University of Tokyo. He graduated from both and obtained his master's degree in political science in 1993.

Career

Onodera joined the government of Miyagi Prefecture in April 1983. He worked at Tohoku Fukushi University as special lecturer, assistant professor and guest professor from April 1994 to January 1998. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in December 1997 from Miyagi Prefecture No. 6, but resigned in 2000 in the wake of an electoral donation scandal. In October 2002, he became an associate professor at Tohoku Fukushi University. However, he ran for the house in 2003 and was re-elected. He served as parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs for two times from 2004 to 2005. He served at and chaired different committees regarding foreign affairs, and was the head of the LDP's foreign affairs division. He was appointed senior vice-minister for foreign affairs in August 2007. Shinzō Abe named Itsunori Onodera defense minister on December 26, 2012. Like Abe, the majority of his government, and many predecessors as defense ministers, Onodera is affiliated with the revisionist lobby group Nippon Kaigi. Onodera supports Japan having the ability to launch a first-strike attack against enemy bases. Onodera has advocated for the installation of the Aegis Ashore

missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...

system in Japan, travelling to proposed installation sites in

Akita Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...

and

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...

to win local consent.

Personal life

Onodera is married and has two children.

References

External links