Masanao Ozaki

Masanao Ozaki (Japanese尾崎 正直, Ozaki Masanao; born September 14, 1967 in Kochi, Kochi Prefecture) is a Japanese politician and since 2007 the governor of Kōchi.

Ozaki, a graduate of the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo, was after his graduation in 1991 Treasury official. For this he was sent, among others, 1998-2001, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia and latterly of Ministers Secretariat ( daijin Kambo ), before he in 2007 his official career ended in order to succeed Governor Daijiro Hashimoto (half- brother of former LDP chairman Ryutaro Hashimoto ) to run.

Ozaki won the election with the support of the LDP, DPJ, SDP Kōmeitō and well ahead of its three competitors with around 61 % of the vote. In office, he was the nation's youngest governor ..