Hirofumi Takinami

Hirofumi Takinami, aged 44, is a member of the House of Councillors, Japan, corresponding to a Senator in the U.S.. He was first elected to this upper house of Japan by gaining over 70 percent of the votes at the Fukui District that comprises entire Fukui Prefecture as the candidate of ruling LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) in his very first run for an election in 2013. Representing the Fukui Prefecture known as the most gathering place of nuclear power plants in Japan, he has been notably engaging in Japan’s energy policy as a member of the Committee on Economy and Industry as well as the Special Committee on Nuclear Power Issues. Now he is the Director of both Committees at the House.  At the Party, he is undertaking the Deputy Director of the Treasury and Finance Division, the Economy, Trade and Industry Division, the Environmental Division, as well as the Youth Division. His policy making coverage is very wide including, not only finance, energy, environment, but also women empowerment, law enforcement, infrastructure, welfare for disabled etc.. Before starting his political career, he was a Director, Ministry of Finance. During his about-20-years’ service at the Ministry, he was once dispatched to Stanford University as a Visiting Fellow for 2009-11. He undertook a comparative research on the political economy of financial crises in Japan and the U.S. under the guidance of Ambassador Mike Armacost, and published a collaborative article in a journal with Professor Phillip Lipscy, Department of Political Science, Stanford University. As a Japanese government official, he has served, among others, in policy coordination and management positions notably in the public finance area, including Public Relations Director, Director for Office of Planning and Personnel Management, Deputy Budget Examiner on social security expenditures at the Ministry of Finance; Deputy Cabinet Counselor in charge of coordinating domestic and economic policies at the Cabinet Secretariat. In addition to positions related to domestic policy, Takinami also worked internationally, attending as one of Japanese delegates to meetings, including Ministerial-level, of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM). While sent to the Ministry of Justice, he served as Special Advisory Staff to the Director-General of Criminal Affairs Bureau, addressing international economic crimes. Takinami graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1994, earning a Bachelor of Law.  In his first dispatch to the United States by the Ministry of Finance, he received a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Chicago in 1998 with a major in finance and public finance. He and his wife were classmates at the University of Chicago, and both of them hold US CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Illinois. Takinami was born and raised in Fukui Prefecture, located next to Kyoto, known also for producing many CEO's in Japan. He is proud of inheriting the virtues of "diligence, honesty and gratitude" of this snowy country.