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Tomoaki Ichioka (1967-) was a Japanese LDP politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 5 April to 6 December 2021, preceding Tomoaki Ichioka.

Biography[]

Tomoaki Ichioka was born in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan in 1967, and he worked as a real estate businessman before entering politics with the LDP. A young and charismatic politician, he was chosen to lead the LDP into the 22 March 2021 general election, which was projected to be a tough contest for the conservative LDP. In the ensuing election, the LDP placed in first with 29.53% and 12/40 seats, followed by the CDP with 19.47% and 8/40 seats, Nippon Ishin no Kai with 13.66% and 6/40 seats, the SDPJ with 9.53% and 4/40 seats, Reiwa Shinsengumi with 8.2% and 4/40 seats, Komeito with 7.71% and 3/40 seats, the JCP with 7.27% and 3/40 seats, and the DPFP with 4.63% and no seats (failing to meet the 5% threshold). Okada formed a coalition government with the support of Komeito, and he inherited a budget of ¥113 million with a small weekly increase of ¥1 million.

Premiership[]

The Diet's first act was to vote 27-4 (with 4 abstentions) to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives from 40 to 70, a bill proposed by the CDP with the goal of providing the opposition more representation in parliament. However, a corporate tax proposed by the CDP failed by a margin of 17-12. A proposed abolition of the Japanese monarchy failed by a margin of 33-3, and the CDP's popularity fell to 14.43% due to its inability to pass a regular law; by then, the budget had fallen to ¥93 million. The Diet voted 33-3 to approve a dog license, 19-18 in favor of a school bus tax, 25-4 to keep the agricultural subsidy, 24-9 to approve a national football league, 35-0 to keep state-sponsored primary education, and 21-16 to keep the income tax. On 22 November 2021, new elections were held to the enlarged Diet; the LDP increased its share of the vote to 29.93% and won 21/70 seat; NIK rose to 14.6% and 10/70 seats, the CDP fell into third place with 13.51% and 9/70 seats, the SDPJ rose to 10.72% and 8/70 seats, Komeito rose to 8.59% and 6/70 seats, the JCP rose to 8.46% and 6/70 seats, Reiwa Shinsengumi rose to 8.36% and 6/70 seats, and the DPFP rose to 5.82% and 4/70 seats. The Diet was evenly divided between center-left (SDPJ, JCP, Shinsengumi, Komeito, and CDP) and center-right (LDP, NIK, and DPFP) parties, and Nippon Ishin no Kai leader Tomoaki Ichioka won the support of 38 deputies from the SDPJ, Shinsengumi, Komeito, CDP, and his own NIK to form a government on 6 December, while Osada won just 31 votes, losing the premiership.

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