Junichiro Koizumi has all the features of a forceful, charismatic leader who is eager for changes. An eccentric politician and outstanding personality, he is notable against other traditionally restrained Japanese politicians. Due to his popularity Koizumi holds the post of prime minister longer than any of his predecessors. The reason of such popularity is uncommon ideas in solving many problems of vital importance.
Background
Name Junichiro has two parts: "jun" - clean, "ichiro" - the first son. Surname Koizumi also consists of two Japanese hieroglyph with the following meanings: "ko" – small and "izumi" - source, spring.
The Junichiro’s father was a member of parliament for 25 years and served as a General Director of the Ministry of Defence. The name of his family is Samejima, but after his marriage he took his wife's name - Koizumi. Grandfather of the prime minister, Matajiro Koizumi, was also known in political circles in Japan. He made a long way from the carpenter to the Minister of Communications and Telecommunications and served as the vice-speaker of the House of Representatives.
He emphasizes his personality with bright jackets. His favorite colors are green and blue.
Koizumi trusts only three people: his older sister Nobuko Koizumi, his closest aide Isao Ijima and a close friend Taka Yamasaki.
Koizumi wrote such works as “The reasons for the reform of the Ministry of Communications and Telecommunications”, “The reasons for the reform of bureaucratic kingdom”, “The reasons for the privatization of postal and telecommunication services.”
The Prime Minister likes to tell a parable about a hundred sacks of rice, which were not been distributed to people, but sold. The proceeds were spent on constructing a school, where people receive knowledge. The value of this knowledge is equal to tens of thousands of sacks with rice.
With the growth of 169 cm the prime minister weighs 60 kg. He idolizes Winston Churchill. Koizumi reads a lot, loves to ski, listen to music (preferably rock-n-roll). Cinema, Kabuki theatre and Karaoke are also the prime minister’s hobbies.
Prime Minister lives in a large private home in Yokosuka. Hу also has a standard two-storey house at his disposal, which he uses as an office in his constituency.
In January 1978 Junichiro Koizumi, in the age of 36, married to the granddaughter of the founder of pharmaceutical company SS. The wedding had a political nature. 2500 guests attended the wedding. The Prime Minister of that time Takeo Fukuda congratulated the newlyweds, but their divorced in September 1982. His former spouse said that she didn’t manage to be a "political wife."
The eldest son Koizumi Kotaro works in show business since 2001. His second son Shinjiro is going to be a musician, a junior son studies at university Keio.
Education
In 1964 the Junichiro finished secondary school in his home town, and then graduated from economics department in Keio University in Tokyo. According to some data, from September 1968 to June 1969, he also attended university economics courses in London. But this fact of the biography of the Prime Minister remains controversial.
Career
In 1969 Koizumi made the first attempt to apply to Japan's House of Representatives, but failed. Then he became a secretary of one of the parliamentarians.
In December 1972, his hopes came true. Koizumi was taken to the Parliament by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and then was elected 11 more times.
In November 1979, Junichiro Koizumi was appointed to the leading position for the first time in his life. He became a deputy minister of finance for parliamentary affairs. From this moment he becomes a notable figure on the political arena and filled diverse meaningful positions both in his party and in the government. In September, 1995 and in July, 1999 Koizumi applied for the position of the chairman of the LDP, but he didn’t get enough support. However he became the chairman of the LDP and the Prime Minister of Japan in two years and, moreover, he was reelected for the second time.
The main task of Koizumi was giving special impact to the economic development of Japan. The reform of the banking system, bad debt forgiveness, the reform of postal system, including the privatization of savings and insurance, decentralization and the strengthening of defense forces were taken as principles of domestic policy.
In October 2004, Junichiro Koizumi announced about his intention to achieve a partial withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Okinawa Island. Japan also pretends to a permanent membership in the UN Security Council, although Koizumi supported the Japanese troops in Iraq.
On August 15, 2005 the Prime Minister of Japan adduced an excuse from the whole country to those countries that Japanese militarism brought incalculable sorrows in the Second World War (for the first time it happened in April at the Asian summit in Jakarta).