Hakubun
| Hakubun Shimomura | |
|---|---|
| 下村 博文 | |
 |
|
| Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | |
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In office 26 December 2012 – 7 October 2015 |
|
| Prime Minister | Shinzō Abe |
| Preceded by | Makiko Tanaka |
| Succeeded by | Hiroshi Hase |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
23 May 1954 Takasaki, Gunma, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | Waseda University |
| Website | Official website |
Hakubun Shimomura (下村 博文 Shimomura Hakubun, born 23 May 1954) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
A native of Takasaki, Gunma, Shimomura was born on 23 May 1954. He lost his father at the age of nine and endured severe financial hardship in order to complete his education, but obtained scholarships to complete high school and university. He operated a cram school while enrolled as a student at Waseda University.
Shimomura had served in the assembly of Tokyo for two terms since 1989. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996. He is a representative of the district of Tokyo No. 11 in the lower house. He was deputy chief cabinet secretary in the first government of Shinzo Abe in 2006.
Shimomura was again appointed to the Cabinet by Shinzo Abe as minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology on 26 December 2012. As minister, Shimomura expanded the ability of local schools to provide Saturday classes and pushed for the globalization of Japanese universities by increasing English skills and hiring more foreign faculty.
He oversaw preparations by the Organising Committee for the 2020 Summer Olympics on behalf of the national government in Tokyo before being replaced by Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo on June 25, 2015.
Following the resignation of Tokyo governor Naoki Inose on 19 December 2013, Shimomura was widely rumored to be a potential candidate for the gubernatorial election expected to be held in February 2014, along with Yuriko Koike, Hideo Higashikokubaru, Seiko Hashimoto and Yoichi Masuzoe. The LDP excluded his name from consideration in a 20 December poll so that he could focus his efforts on the Tokyo Olympics.
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