Kiyoshi Ueda

Kiyoshi Ueda (Japanese上 田 清 司, Kiyoshi Ueda, born May 15, 1948 in Fukuoka ) is a Japanese politician and since 2003 non-partisan Governor of Saitama Prefecture.

Ueda studied law at Hosei University and Waseda University. In between, he ran a Juku in Tokorozawa. From 1979 to 1986 he was a lecturer at the Kensetsu Daigakkō (建设 大 学校), the Academy of the Ministry of Construction (now国土 交通 大 学校, Kokudo Kotsu daigakkō of MLIT ).

1976, while still a student, Ueda took part in the founding of New Liberal Club, for which he 1980, 1983 and 1986 unsuccessfully ran for Shūgiin. In the 1993 election he was first Shūgiin as the candidate of Shinseitō the 5th constituency (from 1994: 4th constituency) Saitama selected. He was re-elected for the New Progressive Party, 2000 for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ ) in 1996.

In August 2003, Ueda resigned and his party affiliation to compete as an independent candidate in the gubernatorial elections in Saitama on August 31 after the current incumbent Yoshihiko Tsuchiya had resigned because of a scandal donations. In a field of eight candidates, he prevailed with 40.80% ( 808 092 votes). 2007 and 2011 he was re-elected with broad support from LDP, DPJ and Kōmeitō and only two opposition candidates.

Ueda is one of the few Supported the idea of ​​a joint management structure for the Greater Tōkyō, the (former DPJ also a member ), was launched in 2003 by the governor of Kanagawa, Shigefumi Matsuzawa.