Hideo Higashikokubaru
Hideo Higashikokubaru (Japanese东 国 原 英 夫, Higashikokubaru Hideo, born September 16, 1957 in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture) is a Japanese politician and former television entertainer. Last Higashikokubaru sat for Nippon Ishin no Kai 2012-2013 via the proportional representation block in the Kinki Shūgiin, the lower house of the national parliament. From 2007 to 2011 he was governor of Miyazaki, 2011, he was a candidate in the gubernatorial election in Tokyo. From his time as a comedian, he is also known as Sonomamma Higashi (そのまんま東, dt about " just Higashi " ) and Hideo Higashi (东 英 夫, Higashi Hideo ) is known.
Higashikokubaru, a graduate of Senshu University, became famous in the 1980s and 1990s, especially with Takeshi Beat ( Takeshi Kitano ), among others, by participating in Takeshi 's Castle at the television audience. From 2000 to 2004 he studied at Waseda University, a subsequent study at the Faculty of there for Economic and Political Science in 2006, he finished ahead of schedule. In the same year he resigned his contract with the production company KK Office Kitano and thus his film and television career.
In January 2007 he stood as a candidate in his home prefecture of Miyazaki for the succession of the arrested in December 2006 for corruption in the awarding of public contracts governor Tadahiro Ando, who had recently resigned earlier after a vote of no confidence Prefecture Parliament. Without official support for political parties Higashikokubaru 44.4 % of the votes and was at a relatively high turnout of 64 %, the main opposition candidate, the Independent Hidesaburō Kawamura and Tetsuji Mochinaga ( LDP Kōmeitō - based), disassociate.
Ahead of the general election in 2009 Higashikokubaru was considering to run for the LDP. After a concrete offer from a list place in a proportional representation block from the chairman of the LDP election strategy committee Makoto Koga Higashikokubaru noted, however, the condition that it was also established as a candidate in the election of the party leader, the usually the Office of the Prime Minister, should pursue. The public debate that took place during the election for the Parliament Tokyo Prefecture, damaged the party leader Prime Minister Taro Aso. Higashikokubaru withdrew his offer and expressed his regret. He also said that Japan after 60 years of almost uninterrupted LDP government needed a two-party system.
In Higashikokubarus tenure as governor of the outbreak of foot -and-mouth disease (FMD) fell in several communities in Miyazaki in April 2010, which also threatened the production of the famous Miyazaki beef. On 18 May 2010 he declared a state of emergency (without legal implications ) in the prefecture. By August 2010, when Higashikokubaru declared the FMD epidemic ended, were more than 1,200 farms affected and killed over 280 thousand animals.
In autumn 2010 Higashikokubaru announced that it will not stand for election in December 2010 for a second term. His successor, his former lieutenant governor Shunji Kono was elected on 26 December 2010, which replaced him on 21 January 2011. In March 2011, he declared to compete in the regional elections in April in the Governor Shintaro Ishihara against Tokyo Prefecture. It is against the proposed by Ishihara ( re ) application for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, a clear position on the controversial relocation of the Tsukiji market he has not referred to the election campaign.
2012 moved Higashikokubaru for reelection in the gubernatorial election in Tokyo in December 2012 into consideration, which was necessitated by the resignation Ishihara. He rejected those plans and instead ran for Ishihara's new party in the Shūgiin choice. Set only candidate before the constituency candidates on list # 1 Kinki, he was elected secure. In December 2013 Higashikokubaru resigned as deputy back and left the party and is considered again as a possible gubernatorial candidate.