Naoto Kan was Friday elected leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ to power), to succeed Hayatoma Yukio, who has resigned.
Born in 1946 in the city of Ube (Yamaguchi Prefecture), Mr Kan of the DPJ had presided September 28, 1996 to September 25, 1999 and December 10, 2002 to May 18, 2004.
Member of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Japanese Parliament, since 1980, he became known as Minister of Health and Social Affairs in the first government of Ryutaro Hashimoto from January 11 to November 7, 1996.
He was Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Economic and Fiscal Policy Yukio Hatoyama Cabinet since September 16, 2009. It combines these features with those of the National Strategy and the Science and Technology Policy until January 7, 2010 and, from that date, including that of Minister of Finance.