Seiichi Ota

The native form of this personal name is Ōta Seiichi. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Seiichi Ota
太田 誠一
Official portrait, 1998
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office
1 August 2008 – 19 September 2008
Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda
Preceded byMasatoshi Wakabayashi
Succeeded by
Director-General of the Management and Coordination Agency
In office
30 July 1998 – 5 October 1999
Prime MinisterKeizō Obuchi
Preceded bySadatoshi Ozato
Succeeded byKunihiro Tsuzuki
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
12 September 2005 – 21 July 2009
Preceded byKazue Fujita
Succeeded byKazue Fujita
ConstituencyFukuoka 3rd
In office
23 June 1980 – 10 October 2003
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byKazue Fujita
ConstituencyFukuoka 1st (1980–1996)
Fukuoka 3rd (1996–2003)
Personal details
Born(1945-10-31)31 October 1945
Fukuoka, Japan
Died4 December 2024(2024-12-04) (aged 79)
Political partyLiberal Democratic
Other political
affiliations		New Frontier
RelativesKiyoko Fukuda (cousin)
Alma materFukuoka University

Seiichi Ota (太田 誠一, Ōta Seiichi, 31 October 1945 – 4 December 2024) was a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Koga faction. He was the cousin of Kiyoko Fukuda, who married Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda.

Life and career

Before entering politics, Ota was an economics professor. He then served as chief of the Management and Coordination Agency.[1]

Ota entered politics in 1980 with the help of his father-in-law, the governor of Fukuoka. He has since been involved mainly in economic policy. Under Noboru Takeshita in the late 1980s, he advocated the introduction of the consumption tax. Ota also participated in changes in the Commercial Law in the late 1990s and realignment of government ministries and agencies in 2001. Ota left the LDP in 1994 to form a small party, but returned to the LDP the following year.[1]

Igniting more controversy after the Super Free rape scandal was revealed, on 26 June 2003 Ota said "At least gang rapists are still vigorous. Isn't that at least a little closer to normal?"[2] This shocked Japan and Mizuho Fukushima criticized him.[3]

During the debate on terrorism in January 2008, he claimed that Fukushima was an "ultra-leftist".[4]

On 1 August 2008, Yasuo Fukuda named Ota as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the cabinet list.[5] However, he resigned the post on 19 September 2008, following a scandal over tainted rice (汚染米 or 事故米穀, Osenmai or Jikobeikoku).[6] He stated: "I met with Prime Minister Fukuda and told him my decision to resign, considering the seriousness of the tainted rice problem for the society." Yasuo Fukuda accepted the resignation. Ota was informed of the problem in January 2007 but said he saw no need to make "too much of a fuss over it". The rice, tainted with pesticide methamidophos and mould, was for industrial uses only, but was resold, used and served to make lunches for thousands of schoolchildren and nursing home patients.[7][8]

Ota died on 4 December 2024, at the age of 79.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fukuda's new lineup". Japan Times. 3 August 2008.
  2. ^ "Rape Debate In Japan". CBS News. 2 September 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  3. ^ "Lawmaker sees gang rapists as 'close to normal'". Taipei Times. 28 June 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  4. ^ "LDP legislator Ota brands SDP leader Fukushima as ultra-leftist". HDR Japan. 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  5. ^ "Japanese prime minister reshuffles Cabinet". Associated Press (Las Vegas Sun). 1 August 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2008. [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Japanese agriculture minister to quit over tainted rice scandal". Xinhua News Agency. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  7. ^ "Japan minister quits in rice row". BBC News. 19 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Japan agriculture minister quits over tainted rice". Associated Press. 19 September 2008 – via CBC News.
  9. ^ "元農相の太田誠一氏が死去、７９歳". Yomiuri. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
August 2, 2008 – September 19, 2008 		Succeeded by


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