Junichiro Koizumi, former Prime Minister of Japan, member of the House of Representatives
Junichiro Koizumi was born on January 8, 1942 in Kanagawa Prefecture. He studied at the Economics Department of Keio University, a prestigious private school in Tokyo. After graduation, he underwent training in economics in London.
Mr Koizumi began his political career as the personal secretary for a prominent Japanese politician Takeo Fukuda who later became the Prime Minister of Japan.
1972: elected a member of the Parliament's House of Representatives; has been reelected 11 times.
Headed the Ministries of Posts and Telecommunications, Health and Welfare. Mr Koizumi has been actively involved in budgetary issues and financial system reform, and is considered an expert in economics and finance.
Occupied important positions in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): member of the Executive Council, Deputy Chairman of the Political Affairs Research Council, Deputy Secretary-General. Was a member of the former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's faction (currently, does not belong to any LDP faction).
2001-2006: Prime Minister of Japan
Mr Koizumi has been an advocate of wide-ranging cooperation with Russia and believes that relations with Russia should be one of Japan's foreign policy priorities. He has also supported the continuity of Japanese diplomacy toward Russia.
He has visited Russia on several occasions and has met Mr Putin nine times. In May 2005, Mr Koizumi attended the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Victory over Nazi Germany.
Divorced, has two sons.
