is a Japanese politician of the

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

, who is serving as a member of the

House of Councillors 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 ...

Biography

Eto is a native of Ōita, Ōita and graduate of

Oita University is a national university in Ōita, Ōita Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and ext ...

. Eto served on the city council of Ōita for two terms from 1973 and the Ōita Prefectural Assembly for two terms from 1979. He was elected to 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 ...

for the first time in 1990 after an unsuccessful run in 1986. In 2000 he lost the seat but was re-elected three years later. He, however, lost the seat again in 2005. In 2007 he ran for the House of Councillors and was elected. In 2019, Eto entered the 4th Abe cabinet as the Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs. In July 2024, Eto expressed his intention to not run for reelection in the 2025 House of Councillors election. As a reason he noted that his son Hiroaki Etō had been selected as LDP candidate for Ōita 1st district in the House of Representatives and that it was likely to be criticised if father and son were both running for office. In November 2024, Eto was appointed head of the LDP taskforce for the abduction issue. Eto is affiliated to the right-wing organisation

Nippon Kaigi is Japan's largest ultraconservative and ultranationalist far-right non-governmental organisation and lobbying group. It was established in 1997 and has approximately 38,000 to 40,000 members as of 2020. The group has significant influence i ...

and served as secretary general of the Nippon Kaigi Diet Members' Roundtable (日本会議国会議員懇談会).Nationalist ‘Japan Conference’ building its clout
- Korea JoongAng Daily - May 3, 2013

References

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* in Japanese. Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Living people 1947 births Members of Nippon Kaigi People from Ōita (city) Members of the Ōita Prefectural Assembly Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Members of the House of Representatives (Japan) 2003–2005 {{Japan-politician-1940s-stub