1971, graduate, Faculty of Business Administration, Kobe University, Japan. 1971, joined Toyota Motor Sales; 1982 General Secretary, Number 2 Organization Bureau, Federation of All Toyota Workers' Unions; 1991, Vice-President, Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers' Unions; 1992, 1998 and 2004, Elected Member, House of Councillors (HC); 1995, Director, Committee on Rules and Administration, HC; 1996, Chairman, Committee on Transport, HC; 2000, Chairman, Diet Affairs Committee, DPJ Caucus, HC; 2001, Secretary General, DPJ Caucus, HC; 2004, Minister of State for Regulatory Reform and Industrial Revitalization of Next Cabinet; 2005, Chief Director, Committee on Audit, HC; 2005, Chairman, Research Committee, Audit and Oversight of Administration; 2006, Chief Director, Special Committee on Administrative Reform; 2007, Chairman, Policy Research Committee; since 2009, current position.