Taro Kono

Taro Kono is an eleventh-term Member of the House of Representatives of Japan, representing Kanagawa’s 15th district since 1996. A senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he most recently served as Japan’s Minister for Digital Transformation from 2022 to 2024, where he led the government’s efforts to modernise public administration and accelerate digital governance reforms.

Over the course of his distinguished political career, Kono has held several key cabinet positions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, including Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense. He also served twice as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform, from 2015 to 2016 and again from 2020 to 2021, spearheading initiatives aimed at improving government efficiency, transparency, and deregulation.

In addition, Kono served as Minister in charge of COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out during the pandemic, overseeing Japan’s nationwide vaccination campaign. His other leadership roles have included Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and Minister in charge of the National Police Organization, Minister for Civil Service Reform, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Minister for Disaster Management, and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

Known for his reform-oriented approach and strong international engagement, Kono has played a prominent role in shaping Japan’s foreign policy, national security strategy, and digital transformation agenda.

He graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Beyond politics, he has also contributed to sports and civic organisations, serving as Chairman of the Japan Race Horse Association and Chairman of Shonan Bellmare Football Club, the 1995 Asian champion soccer club.