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Kazuo Shii (志位 和夫, Shii Kazuo, born 29 July 1954) is a Japanese politician who has been the chairman of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) since 2024. He previously served as the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the JCP from 24 November 2000 to 18 January 2024.
Kazuo Shii | |
|---|---|
志位 和夫 | |
_(cropped).jpg) Shii in October 2024 | |
| Chairman of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party | |
| Assumed office 18 January 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Tetsuzo Fuwa (2006) |
| Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party | |
| In office 24 November 2000 – 18 January 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Tetsuzo Fuwa |
| Succeeded by | Tomoko Tamura |
| Secretary-General of the Japanese Communist Party | |
| In office 13 July 1990 – 24 November 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Mitsuhiro Kaneko |
| Succeeded by | Tadayoshi Ichida |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 18 July 1993 | |
| Constituency | Chiba 1st (1993–1996) Southern Kanto PR block (1996–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 July 1954 Yotsukaidō, Chiba, Japan |
| Political party | Japanese Communist Party |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo (BE) |
| Occupation | Politician and staff of the political party |
| Website | shii.gr.jp |
Born in Yotsukaidō in Chiba Prefecture, Shii first joined the JCP while studying in the University of Tokyo. He participated in the JCP's Tokyo Committee after graduation, and worked in the Party Central Committee from 1982. He became the head of the secretariat in 1990, and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 1993. He became the chairman of the Party Executive Committee in 2000. He led the party until 18 January 2024, when he resigned as the executive committee chairman, and was succeeded by Tomoko Tamura. On the same day, Shii was appointed as the chairman of the Central Committee.
Early life
editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (October 2021) |
Shii was born in Yotsukaidō in Chiba Prefecture, the son of two schoolteachers. He graduated with the Bachelor of Engineering degree in Physics and Engineering from the University of Tokyo. He joined the JCP during his first year at the university and became an active participant in the party's student wing. After graduation, he got a job in the JCP-Tokyo Committee to lead Waseda University's youth student movement. He worked in the Central Committee of the JCP from 1982.[1]
Political career
editHead of the Secretariat (1990–2000)
editIn 13 July 1990, Shii became the head of the party's secretariat. In 1993, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for the first time for Chiba 1st district, then a multi-member electoral district with five slots, narrowly coming in last at 5th place with just 1,020 votes over sixth-place LDP candidate Kazuo Eguchi.
Chairman of the JCP Executive Committee (2000–2024)
editShii became the party's leader in 24 November 2000.[2]
In 2006, Shii became the first JCP chairman to visit South Korea, where he traveled to an international conference of Asian political parties. He visited the site of Seodaemun Prison and paid tribute to the memory of Korean anti-colonial activists who were imprisoned during the period of Japanese colonialism. Shii also met the speaker of the National Assembly, the chairman of the Uri Party, and the floor leader of the Grand National Party.[3] He also became the first JCP leader to visit the United States, doing so in April 2010.
In 2016, Shii proposed a "national coalition government", promoting the joint fielding of candidates with other opposition parties. That year, he amended the JCP constitution to accept the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Imperial House for the time being.[4]
In early 2023, it was rumored that Shii was facing turmoil within his own party due to his failure to gain the party traction and his length of leadership. At a press conference on 19 January, former party foreign policy committee director Nobuyuki Matsutake called it "far from the common sense of the people" for Shii to hold onto his position for over 20 years and advocated for the reform of the party leadership election system so that the party leader would be elected directly by the party members.[5] On 21 January, party newspaper Shimbun Akahata published commentary piece titled "Clear deviation from the constitution and platform", rebutting his words and actions; Shii called the commentary "correct" at a press conference on 23 January, saying calls to introduce a public election system was a violation of the party constitution.[5]
Chairman of the Central Committee (2024–)
editAt the JCP convention on 18 January 2024, Shii's resigned as the Party chairman,[6][7] with Tomoko Tamura succeeding him.[8][9] On the same convention, Shii was appointed as the chairman of the Central Committee, a post that has been vacant since 2006.[10]
Political positions
editForeign relations
editIn 2020, under Shii's leadership, the Japanese Communist Party denounced the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government for its activities in the East China Sea, in the South China Sea, and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.[11] A position paper issued by the party said that China's "great-power chauvinism and hegemonism" were "an adverse current to world peace and progress."[11] At the party's conference in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shii said that "the Chinese leadership’s mistake is extremely serious. That action does not deserve the name of the Communist Party."[11] The Japanese and Chinese communist parties had previously been diverging for decades.[11][12]
He has been sanctioned by Russia over his support for Ukraine.[13]
Personal life
editShii plays the piano; he has said music is "a part of his life" and seriously considered becoming a musician. When he was about to begin university, he considered majoring in music or physics, and chose physics in the end.[14] Shii says his favorite composers are Franz Schubert and Dmitri Shostakovich.[15] Despite being on starkly opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, Shii took part in a dialogue with former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2020, where they discussed their mutual love for classical music.[16]
Works
edit- Shii, Kazuo (1992). What is Scientific Socialism?. Tokyo: Shinnihon Shuppansha. ISBN 4-406-02064-0.
- Shii, Kazuo (2007). What kind of party is the Japanese Communist Party?. Tokyo: Shinnihon Shuppansha. ISBN 978-4406050180.
References
edit- ^ "日本共産党幹部会委員長 衆議院議員 志位和夫｜プロフィール". www.shii.gr.jp. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ Gavin Blair, Communist Party makes a comeback ... in Japan, Christian Science Monitor (August 5, 2013).
- ^ Editorial: Communist Party head's first visit to Korea, The Hankyoreh (September 12, 2006).
- ^ "Tomoko Tamura Becomes 1st Female Chairperson of Japanese Communist Party". Yomiuri Shimbun. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b Fujita, Yuki (30 January 2023). "Japan Communist Party in turmoil as calls emerge for new leadership". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "共産・志位和夫氏は議長に就任 小池晃書記局長は続投". Mainichi Shimbun. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "野党共闘路線を主導 共産・志位体制、２３年の歴史に幕". Sankei Shimbun. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "共産党の新委員長に田村智子氏、23年ぶり交代 志位氏は議長に就任". The Asahi Shimbun. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "共産党委員長に田村智子氏 23年ぶり交代、志位氏は議長". The Nikkei. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Japanese Communist Party taps 1st female leader". Kyodo News. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d "China's Communist Party a threat to peace, says Japanese counterpart". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ Yuri Momoi, Japanese Communist Party's long goodbye to its China comrades, Nikkei Asian Review (February 19, 2020).
- ^ "ロシア、日本人63人を入国禁止に 岸田首相や教授、メディア幹部ら". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 4 May 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ 公式プロフィール
- ^ "ASIANOW - Asiaweek | Politics & Power: Japan | 11/5/99".
- ^ "特別対談｜小泉純一郎×志位和夫——音楽愛とその原点、芸術文化の未来に私たちができることとは". 音楽っていいなぁ、を毎日に。｜ Webマガジン「ONTOMO」. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
External links
edit- Official website (in Japanese)
- 志位和夫 on Twitter
- Interview with C. B. Liddell in Metropolis magazine. Published 15 January 2009.
- Kazuo Shii: Comments from the Japanese Communist Party on the upcoming election. YouTube video (in English) of Kazuo Shii discussing the 2014 Japanese general election. Uploaded 8 December 2014.