Yasutaka Nakasone

Yasutaka Nakasone (中曽根康隆, born January 19, 1982) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2017. He held the position of Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from November 11, 2021, to August 12, 2022. From October 2024 to October 2025, he served as the director of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division. As of October 2025, he holds the position of Deputy Chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee within the LDP.

Nakasone is the son of Hirofumi Nakasone and Mariko Nakasone, and the grandson of Yasuhiro Nakasone, a former Prime Minister of Japan. He was born and raised in Tokyo. He studied abroad in the United States for one year during high school. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Keio University, where he also studied international politics. His educational background includes studying alongside classmates such as Sho Sakurai of the idol group Arashi. In addition, Nakasone obtained a master's degree in political science from Columbia University in New York City, studying alongside Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Following his graduation, Nakasone worked at JPMorgan Chase in Tokyo. During his time in finance, he developed an interest in pursuing a political career. He participated in golf teams during his high school and university years. He married Tomomi Sato, the daughter of Morimasa Sato, the chairman and representative director of FP Co., Shoji, a manufacturer and seller of food containers based in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture. The couple has three children, including twin daughters Yasuaki and Satomi, born in 2020, and a son, born in 2025.

In his political career, Nakasone initially supported the idea of becoming a politician while working at JPMorgan Chase. He served as a private secretary to his father, Hirofumi Nakasone, a member of the House of Councillors, for four years. During this period, he prepared to run for office in the Kanto region, particularly in Tokyo and Gunma Prefecture, the traditional base of the Nakasone family and formerly the constituency of his grandfather.

His attempt to enter the Diet involved gaining support within the LDP. Although initially opposition from his father, who believed a political career was too challenging, Nakasone persisted. He resigned from JPMorgan Chase and became a private secretary to his father, eventually securing a position on the LDP's proportional representation list for the Northern Kanto block in the 2017 general election. Although he initially sought candidacy in Gunma 1st district, he was not selected, but he was elected via the party list.

In 2021, Nakasone successfully contested the Gunma 1st district seat, securing reelection in 2024. He served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense for nearly ten months in 2021-2022. In November 2023, while serving as Deputy Youth Bureau Director, he attended a regional conference in Wakayama Prefecture, which became controversial after a social gathering featured performances deemed inappropriate, leading to his resignation from his bureau positions.

In October 2024, Nakasone was appointed director of the LDP Youth Division, and on October 27, 2025, he was named Deputy Chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee of the LDP. His political positions include emphasizing responsibility for creating future societal visions and pathways.

[Official website in Japanese]