Gentarō Kan

Souhtaro Suga (born October 30, 1972) is a Japanese politician and social activist. He has served as a researcher at the First General Research Institute and has experience as a city councilor in Musashino City for one term.

He was born on October 30, 1972, in Tokyo. His registered domicile is Kembu Town, Mutsu District, Okayama Prefecture (currently Kita-ku, Okayama City). He has one younger brother. His parents are Naoto Kan, a member of the House of Representatives and the 94th Prime Minister of Japan, and Nobuko Suga, an essayist.

Regarding his educational background, he attended Musashino Municipal 6th Junior High School but temporarily dropped out due to truancy, and graduated in 1988. He then enrolled at Kosei Gakuen High School but dropped out the following May. Later, he passed the university entrance qualification exam and completed his studies.

From a young age, he was engaged in civic activities. In May 1990, he formed the "Teen Group Seeking Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child" and began activities. On January 3, 1991, he served as a discussion moderator at a human rights meeting called "Children's Teach-In" held in Fukuoka Prefecture, participating in debates between liberals and radicals.

In May 2000, he established a group called "Rights," aiming to promote lowering the voting age and increasing youth political participation. It was incorporated as a specified nonprofit corporation in September 2001.

In electoral politics, he ran as a Democratic Party candidate in the 2003 and 2005 general elections for the House of Representatives but was defeated both times by Liberal Democratic Party member Ichiro Aizawa. His father, Naoto Kan, commented on these elections, defending his son’s political career against accusations of political dynasty, stating, "I am a talented politician and not a hereditary politician."

In April 2006, he enrolled at Kyoto Seika University’s Faculty of Humanities and graduated in March 2010. In April 2010, he took a position as a researcher at Daiichi General Research Institute Corporation, which was represented by Tachibana Tamiyoshi, affiliated with organizations related to Okayama Prefecture.

In 2022, he served as a policy aide to his father, Naoto Kan. On December 9, 2023, he announced his candidacy for a by-election for Musashino City Council, endorsed by the Constitutional Democratic Party, and was elected. In this election, he received 13,894 votes, ranking second among numerous candidates.

Regarding his family, ancestors include his great-grandfather Jitsu, his great-grandmother Taoko, his grandfather Toshio, and his grandmother Junko, all of whom were active in politics and technology fields. His maternal grandmother, Chieko Himeii, was also a politician. His father, Naoto Kan, served as the 94th Prime Minister of Japan, and his younger brother, Shinjiro, is a veterinarian.

His extended family is based in Kembu Town, Kita-ku, Okayama City, and Musashino City, Tokyo.