Seiji Maehara (前原 誠司 Maehara Seiji; born 30 April 1962) is a member of the House of Representatives of Japan, and the leader of Democratic Party of Japan, which he was appointed on September 17, 2005 after the crushing defeat of the DPJ in the 11 September 2005 snap election and the resignation of DPJ leader Katsuya Okada. He is known for expertise in national security and defense and a notable advocate of constitutional amendment to Article 9 that renounces war. April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining, as the last day in April. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Democratic Party of Japan (民主党, Minshutō) is a liberal party in Japan. ... Japan held a nationwide election to the House of Representatives, the more powerful lower house of the National Diet, on 11 September 2005, about two years before the end of the term started from last election in 2003. ... Katsuya Okada (岡田克也 Okada Katsuya, born July 14, 1953) was the president of the Democratic Party of Japan. ... The Constitution of Japan has the Article 9 No War clause. ...

Maehara was born in Kyoto and attended the Law Department of Kyoto University, where he majored in international politics. This page is about the city Kyoto. ... Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan (京都大学 Kyōto Daigaku; abbreviated to 京大 Kyōdai) is the second oldest university of Japan and one of leading national universities having a total of roughly 22,000 students. ... International relations (IR) is an academic and public policy field, a branch of political science, dealing with the foreign policy of states within the international system, including the roles of international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ...

He was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of the Japan New Party of Morihiro Hosokawa in 1993. In 1994 he left the party and formed the "Democratic Wave" with several other young parliamentarians, but later that year joined the Sakigake Party, which was briefly part of the majority government. In 1998, he joined the formation of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). The Japan New Party (日本新党 Nihon Shintō) is a Japanese political party that existed briefly from 1992 to 1994. ... Morihiro Hosokawa (細川 護煕 Hosokawa Morihiro, b. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The New Party Sakigake (新党さきがけ Shinto Sakigake) was a Japanese political party that broke away from the Liberal Democratic Party on June 22, 1993. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

As a member of the DPJ he focused on security affairs and often negotiated with the government. In the shadow governments he has served as the Shadow Minister for Security Affairs and Shadow Minister for the Defense Agency.

External Links

• Official website