Kōji Omi (尾身 幸次, Omi Kōji, 14 December 1932 – 14 April 2022) was a Japanese politician most notable for serving as Minister of Finance in the first Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Koji Omi | |
|---|---|
尾身 幸次 | |
 Official portrait, 1997 | |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 26 September 2006 – 27 August 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Shinzo Abe |
| Preceded by | Sadakazu Tanigaki |
| Succeeded by | Fukushiro Nukaga |
| Head of the Economic Planning Agency | |
| In office 11 September 1997 – 30 July 1998 | |
| Prime Minister | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| Preceded by | Taro Aso |
| Succeeded by | Taichi Sakaiya |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 19 December 1983 – 21 July 2009 | |
| Constituency | Former Gunma 1st (1983–1996) Gunma 1st (1996–2000; 2003–2005) Northern Kanto PR (2000–2003; 2005–2009) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 December 1932 Numata, Gunma, Japan |
| Died | 14 April 2022 (aged 89) Tokyo, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic |
| Alma mater | Hitotsubashi University |
Personal life
editKōji Omi was born in Numata, Gunma Prefecture on 14 December 1932. He attended Hitotsubashi University, where he graduated with a degree in Commerce.[citation needed]
He died on 14 April 2022, at the age of 89.[1]
Political career
editOmi started his career in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry where he later served as consul general of Japan in New York City and as the Director of the Small Business Administration. He was elected to the House of Representatives of the National Diet in 1983.
In 1997, Omi was appointed as the Director of the Economic Planning Agency. He briefly acted as a Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi between 2001 and 2002.[2][1] He was on a diplomatic mission to the United States during the 11 September 2001 attacks.[citation needed] Between 2006 and 2007, he served as the Minister of Finance under Shinzō Abe. Omi supported increases in the national consumption tax, although Abe distanced himself from this policy and sought to achieve much of his budget balancing through spending cuts.[3]
He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by the University of Cambodia in 2007[4] and was awarded the first honorary doctorate by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in 2018.[5]
Other work
edit- Founder and Chairman, Science and Technology in Society Forum, 2004.[2][6]
- Board member, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 2014 to 2021.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Remembering a Visionary: Koji Omi Connected Okinawa with Science and Technology". oist.jp. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Founding Chairman Koji Omi". STSforum. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Japan's Abe Unexpectedly Names Omi Finance Minister, Bloomberg.com, 26 September 2006.
- ^ "Welcome to The University of Cambodia (UC)". uc.edu.kh. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ "In honor of his efforts and achievements, OIST awarded Mr. Koji Omi its first honorary doctorate degree at the first graduation ceremony in 2018". Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
- ^ Omi, Koji (22 December 2014). "Constructing a Global Science Forum". Science & Diplomacy. 3 (4). Retrieved 18 June 2015.
