# Shun'ichi Suzuki (politician)

Shun'ichi Suzuki (鈴木 俊一, Suzuki Shun'ichi, born 13 April 1953) is a Japanese politician who served as minister of finance from 2021 to October 2024. He sits in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.

## Background and career

A native of Tokyo Metropolis and graduate of Waseda University, Suzuki and his wife belong to political dynasties: former Prime Ministers Zenkō Suzuki and Tarō Asō are respectively his father and his brother-in-law; his wife Chikako is related to Heikichi Ogawa and Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Suzuki was elected for the first time in 1990. He served as Minister of the Environment from 2002 to 2003 under Jun'ichirō Koizumi.
Suzuki has been appointed Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games twice.

## Other activities

* European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)
* Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)
* International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)

## Political positions

Suzuki is affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi, and is a member of the Shikōkai faction of the LDP. He gave the following answers to the questionnaire submitted by Mainichi to parliamentarians in 2012:
* in favor of the revision of the Constitution
* in favor of the right of collective self-defense (revision of Article 9)
* against the reform of the national legislature (unicameral instead of bicameral)
* in favor of reactivating nuclear power plants
* against the goal of zero nuclear power by 2030s
* in favor of the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Okinawa)
* in favor of evaluating the purchase of Senkaku Islands by the Government
* in favor of a strong attitude versus China
* against the participation of Japan to the Trans-Pacific Partnership
* against a nuclear-armed Japan
* against the reform of the Imperial Household that would allow women to retain their Imperial status even after marriage

## Scandals

* Office expenses in excess of 30 million yen each year: The fund management organization "Seirinkai", of which Suzuki is the representative, had recorded office expenses exceeding 30 million yen every year, but in 2007, it suddenly revised the office expenses for each year to around 7.5 million yen. As to the reason, he explained, "I don't know because the person in charge (accounting manager) has changed."
* 14.12 million yen in gasoline expenses over three years: The aforementioned Seiruzukai's political fund balance reports showed a total of 14.12 million yen in gasoline expenses between 2013 and 2015; in one case in January 2015, a single payment amounted to 1.74 million yen. Suzuki's office explained that "seven cars run 250 to 300 kilometers a day," but this gasoline cost is calculated to be equivalent to "33.8 times around the earth," which some consider too high.
* 16.58 million yen in collections over three years: In the aforementioned "Seirin-kai" political fund balance reports, a total of 16.58 million yen in "difficulties in collecting receipts, etc." was recorded from 2013 to 2015, all of which did not have receipts. When we interviewed several payment recipients, their response was that there were no cases where receipts were not issued
* Opposition to the indoor smoking ban in his position as Minister of the Olympics: Suzuki has long been opposed to an indoor smoking ban, and immediately after his appointment as Minister of the Olympics in August 2017, he repeated statements such as, "Smoking should not be a principle, but should be achieved through thorough separation of smoking." He also said that he was opposed to a smoking ban indoors. Since this was contrary to the policies of the IOC and WHO, which promote a tobacco-free Olympics, the fact that he made the statement in his capacity as Minister of the Olympics was viewed as problematic. When questioned by the press about his consistency, he effectively retracted his statement, saying that it was "an introduction to past discussions within the Liberal Democratic Party."

## Personal life

Tarō Asō is Suzuki's brother-in-law.