Shun'ichi Suzuki

Shun'ichi Suzuki (鈴木 俊一, Suzuki Shun'ichi) was born on April 13, 1953, in Tokyo, Japan. He is a politician affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and has served as the Secretary-General of the party since 2025. Prior to this role, Suzuki served as Japan's Minister of Finance from 2021 until October 2024. He is a member of the House of Representatives.

Suzuki's father is Zenko Suzuki, who was a member of the Japanese Diet representing Iwate Prefecture and served as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1982. His older sister, Chikako, is married to Tarō Asō, a prominent Japanese politician who also served as Prime Minister.

Suzuki graduated from Waseda University in 1977. After completing his higher education, he began working for the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations. In April 1985, he started working as a secretary to his father. Suzuki was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1990, following his father's retirement from politics.

In his political career, Suzuki served as Minister of the Environment from 2002 to 2003 under Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi. He was appointed Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games on two occasions. Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Suzuki served as Minister of Finance. After Sanae Takaichi was elected as LDP president in October 2025, she appointed Suzuki as Secretary-General of the party.

Suzuki is associated with Nippon Kaigi, an openly revisionist lobbying organization, and is a member of the Shikōkai faction within the LDP.

In 2012, Suzuki provided responses to a questionnaire submitted by the Mainichi newspaper. His positions included support for the revision of Japan’s Constitution, particularly regarding the right of collective self-defense and the revision of Article 9, as well as support for reactivating nuclear power plants and relocating the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station in Okinawa. He favored evaluating the purchase of the Senkaku Islands, maintaining a strong stance toward China, opposing Japan's participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and rejecting the idea of a nuclear-armed Japan. Suzuki also voiced opposition to reforms allowing women to retain Imperial status after marriage.

Suzuki's political activities have been involved in some scandals. Financial reports from his political party, Seiruzukai, indicated that he incurred gasoline expenses totaling approximately 14.12 million yen over three years (2013–2015), with a notable single payment of 1.74 million yen in January 2015. His office explained that multiple vehicles operated daily, but critics considered the expense unusually high. Additionally, reports indicated that he collected approximately 16.58 million yen over three years from donations without issuing receipts, according to some sources.

As Minister of the Olympics in 2017, Suzuki opposed indoor smoking bans, stating that smoking should be managed through separation rather than prohibition. His stance was at odds with policies advocated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). He later retracted these comments, framing them as internal party discussions.

Suzuki is married to Chikako, who is descended from political families linked to former Prime Ministers Zenkō Suzuki and Kiichi Miyazawa. His familial connections include ties to other influential political figures, including Heikichi Ogawa.

**References:**

*(No references provided in the original data; omitted here.)*

**External Links:**

- 政治家情報 〜鈴木 俊一〜. ザ･選挙 (in Japanese). JANJAN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007.

- Suzuki Shunichi profile, jimin.jp