Hashimoto, Ryutaro (1937–2006)

Japanese conservative politician, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister 1996–98. A former finance and trade minister, he succeeded the Social Democrat Tomiichi Murayama as prime minister, advocating a wider international role for Japan and, domestically, gradual deregulation. Hashimoto resigned after the LDP did badly in the 1998 upper-house elections. He attempted to regain the premiership in 2001 but was unsuccessful.

He rose to prominence under the tutelage of the former LDP prime minister and faction leader Kakuei Tanaka, serving as health and welfare minister 1978–79, transport minister 1986–87, and finance minister from 1989. As trade minister during the 1994–96 Social Democrat–LDP coalition administration, he drew popular acclaim for the tough negotiating stance he adopted in trade talks with the USA. A forceful, charismatic figure, he was elected leader of the LDP September 1995 in a contest in which rank-and-file party members were allowed to participate for the first time. Hashimoto called a snap election in October 1996, but it produced an inconclusive result with the LDP remaining short of an absolute majority.

The son of a bureaucrat-politician, Hashimoto studied law at university, then briefly worked as a manager in the textile industry before embarking, from the early 1960s, on a career in politics as an LDP member of the house of representatives.