Shin Kanemaru

Shin Kanemaru was born on 17 September 1914 in Suwa village, now part of Minami-arupusu city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. He pursued higher education at Tokyo University of Agriculture, after which he worked as a teacher.

During his early adulthood, Kanemaru served in the military, specifically in the Kwantung Army, from 1937 to 1938, attaining the rank of sergeant before being discharged due to illness. Following his military service, he engaged in the sake brewing industry and expanded into the concrete and souvenir business sectors.

In his political career, Shin Kanemaru was affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and was associated with the faction led by Noboru Takeshita. He held the position of Director General of the Japan Defense Agency between 1977 and 1978.

Kanemaru was active in Japanese politics from the 1970s through the early 1990s. In 1992, he became involved in the Sagawa Kyubin corruption scandal; he was indicted on charges of tax evasion related to payments received from construction firms attempting to influence political decisions. Following these allegations, Kanemaru resigned from his political position. On 13 March 1993, he was arrested after authorities discovered assets including at least $51 million in bearer bonds and several hundred pounds of gold stored in his residence.

He was the father of Shingo Shin. Shin Kanemaru died in Yamanashi Prefecture on 28 March 1996, at the age of 81.