Kōzō Akino is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

politician who has served as a member of the

House of Councillors of Japan The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

, since 2010. He represents the National proportional representation block as a member of the

Komeito , formerly New Komeito (NKP) and commonly referred to as simply Komei, is a political party in Japan founded by the leader of Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, in 1964. It is generally considered centrist and socially conservative. Since 2012, i ...

party. He currently serves on the following committees: * Committee on Financial Affairs (Director) * Committee on Discipline * Special Committee on Okinawa and Northern Problems * Deliberative Council on Political Ethics

Early life

Akino was born on July 11, 1967, in the Hyogo Prefecture of

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. He graduated from the

Nagasaki University is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is ''Chōdai'' (). The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. History Nagasaki University was established in 1949 by incorporating several nation ...

School of Medicine in 1992. He also earned a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from that same university, in 1996.

Medical career

Prior to his election to the House of Councillors, Akino worked as professor of medicine and directed offices in the

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare. It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and th ...

. A summary of his career is below: * 1996-2000: Assistant professor in the School of Medicine, Nagasaki University. * 2000-01: received specialized instruction at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, Tertiary referral hospital, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre, academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars ...

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. * 2001-06: Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Nagasaki University. * 2006-08: Assistant Director of the Disease Control Division of the Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. * 2008-09: Assistant Director of the Blood and Blood Products Division of the Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. * 2009-10: Director of the Tokyo Airport Quarantine Branch, Tokyo Quarantine Station.

Political career

In 2010, he was elected to the House of Councillors. He is currently in his second term, which will expire in 2022. During his terms in office he has served as chairman of several different committees in the House of Councillors, including: * 2014-16: Special Committee on Disasters * 2016-18: Committee on Judicial Affairs * 2018-20: Committee on General Affairs * 2020–present: Committee on Financial Affairs He has also briefly served in the Cabinet. In 2012 he served as Parliamentary Secretary of the Environment.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akino, Kozo Japanese politicians Japanese physicians 1967 births Living people Scientists from Hyōgo Prefecture