Gaku Hashimoto

Gaku Hashimoto (橋本 岳, Hashimoto Gaku) was born on February 5, 1974. He is a Japanese politician affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Hashimoto served as a member of the House of Representatives in the National Diet of Japan, representing the 4th District of Okayama Prefecture.

He hails from a prominent political family. He is the son of Ryutaro Hashimoto, who served as Prime Minister of Japan. His grandfather is Ryugo Hashimoto, a former member of the House of Representatives. Hashimoto’s uncle, Daijiro Hashimoto, served as governor of Kōchi Prefecture. His mother, Kumiko Nakamura, is a member of the Nakamura family, which is also recognized as a political dynasty. Additionally, his great-grandfather, Utaro Hashimoto, was the head of Dai-Nippon Beer Company, Ltd., a company that is now part of Sapporo Brewery.

Hashimoto was born in Sōja, Okayama Prefecture. He attended Keio University for both undergraduate studies and graduate education. After completing his education, he joined the Mitsubishi Research Institute.

In 2005, Gaku Hashimoto was elected for the first time to the House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served on several committees, including the Special Committee on Okinawa and Northern Problems, the Special Committee on Anti-Piracy Measures, Prevention of International Terrorism, and Japan's Cooperation and Support, and the Committee on Internal Affairs and Communications.

Hashimoto has publicly aligned himself with certain political ideologies. He is affiliated with Nippon Kaigi, an advocacy group known for its revisionist positions. He is also a member of various right-wing groups within the Diet, such as the Nippon Kaigi Diet discussion group, the Conference of Parliamentarians on the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai), and the Shinto Political League (83 Group).

He has participated in a questionnaire conducted by Mainichi Shimbun, in which he expressed his positions on various political issues. In 2012, he supported the revision of Japan’s Constitution to enhance the right of collective self-defense, advocated for the reform of the National Diet from bicameral to unicameral, and expressed support for reactivating nuclear power plants. He also supported the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa and was against the government’s purchase of the Senkaku Islands. His responses indicated a stance favoring a strong attitude toward China, considering Japan potentially arming itself with nuclear capabilities in the future, and revising the Imperial Household Law to allow women to retain their royal status after marriage.

In 2014, Hashimoto reiterated support for constitutional revision, especially of Article 9, and the right to collective self-defense. He maintained support for nuclear energy, accepted visits of Prime Ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine, and favored revising the Murayama Statement. He was opposed to revising the Kono Statement and to laws that prevent hate speech. He also expressed concern that Futenma Air Station poses a burden on Okinawa and supported Japan’s Security Secrecy Law. Additionally, he was in favor of teaching 'morality' in schools and supported discussions around Japan potentially developing nuclear weapons.

External links to his official website and Twitter account are available.