Former Komeito Head Yamaguchi to Retire from Politics

   Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)--Natsuo Yamaguchi, former head of Japan's junior ruling party Komeito, will retire from politics upon the end of his current six-year term as a House of Councillors member late next month, it was learned Friday.
   Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito told a party meeting on the day that Yamaguchi, 72, will not run in the upcoming election for the upper chamber of parliament.
   The former leader previously said that he would not seek a constituency seat in the Upper House poll. But he had remained vague on whether he would run in the proportional representation system.
   At the party meeting, Yamaguchi said he owed his career as a lawmaker to "support from colleagues."
   Yamaguchi became Komeito leader after his predecessor, Akihiro Ota, lost in the 2009 election for the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber. Yamaguchi served as Komeito chief for eight terms, or 15 years, through last September, the longest tenure since the party took its current form in 1998.

(2025/06/20-17:01)

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