Ryutaro Hashimoto

Ryutaro Hashimoto (Japanese桥本 龙 太郎Hashimoto Ryutaro, born July 29, 1937 in Shibuya, Tokyo, † July 1, 2006 in Tokyo ) was a Japanese politician and the 53th Prime Minister of his country.

Hashimoto's father was the former education minister and LDP MPs Hashimoto Ryogo. After graduating from Keio University Hashimoto initially worked for a textile company. In 1963 he was first elected for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP ) in the second constituency of Okayama, the constituency of his recently deceased father into the Japanese House of Commons.

He served two terms in ( 11 January to 7 November 1996 and 7 November 1996 to 30 July 1998) as Prime Minister. He led financial reforms to consolidate the state budget, but so weakened the already falling consumption of the Japanese in addition. In particular, the increase in VAT in April 1997 gave the LDP votes fall in the next upper house election in 1998. Hashimoto took the result as an opportunity to resign as head of government.

He then headed the then largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Heisei Kenkyūkai. In July 2005 he resigned after a funding scandal. In September 2005, he retired for health reasons almost entirely from politics.

Hashimoto headed from 2004 until his death in an advisory body to the Secretary of the United Nations water and wastewater issues (United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, UNSGAB ).

Hashimoto's son Gaku Hashimoto is also LDP politicians of the Tsushima faction and lower house deputy.

Hashimoto operation martial arts Kendo and reached the 6th Dan. In 1998, he donated from recognition of the work of North American martial artist two trophies for the held annually at Harvard University Shoryuhai.