Profile of Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama
Tomiichi Murayama, who officially began his duties as Prime Minister of Japan on June 30, 1994, is the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Japan - the third largest party in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet. He supported Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa's coalition government, inaugurated in August 1993, as head of the coalition's largest party, and he worked to narrow policy differences among its constituent parties. Murayama's party bolted from the ruling coalition, however, following the election of Tsutomu Hata as Prime Minister in April 1994. The SDPJ leader cited "a breakdown in trust among the parties of the ruling coalition." Following the resignation of Prime Minister Hata two months later, Murayama was backed for the premiership by a tripartite alliance consisting of the Liberal Democratic Party, which remains the largest party in the lower house, the SDPJ, and New Party Sakigake, a two-year-old group of former LDP politicians. Murayama carried out the first reshuffling of his cabinet in August 1995, one year after becoming Prime Minister.
March 3, 1924
- Born in Oita Prefecture.
1946
- Graduates from Meiji University's School of Political Science and Economics.
1955
- Elected to the Oita City Assembly (two terms).
1963
- Elected to the Oita Prefectural Assembly (three terms).
1972
- Elected to the House of Representatives (now serving seventh term).
1974
- Named chairman of the JSP's Oita Prefectural Headquarters.
1975
- Appointed director of the House of Representatives Committee on Social and Labor Affairs and director of the JSP's Social and Labor Affairs Division. Goes on to serve as director of the H.R. Budget Committee and chairman of the H.R. Special Committee on Prices.
1991
- Named chairman of the SDPJ's Diet Affairs Committee.
1993
- Named chairman of the SDPJ.
June 1994
- Elected Prime Minister.
July 1994
- Attends the G-7 Summit in Naples. Visits the Republic of Korea.
August 1994
- Visits the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.
November 1994
- Attends the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bogor, Indonesia.
January 1995
- Visits the United States.
March 1995
- Attends the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen.
May 1995
- Visits China.
June 1995
- Attends the G-7 Summit in Halifax.
September 1995
- Visits Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Israel, and Jordan.
Note: In February 1991, the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) changed its English name to the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ).
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