Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who is expected to run for president of the opposition Democratic Party, brings a wealth of experience and an America-friendly reputation to the race.
Maehara represents the Kyoto No. 2 district in the Lower House, an area in the eastern part of city that includes the famed traditional Gion district and the area around Kyoto University. Though born in Kyoto, he has said Kyoto people don't recognize him as a "true" Kyotoite because his family has been there for less than 100 years, or three generations.
Throughout his political career, which includes a stint in the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly in the early 1990s before winning his first Lower House seat in 1993, Maehara has had a strong interest in Japan-U.S. relations. A regular visitor to Washington, he is well-known among American experts for his strong support of the Japan-U.S. military alliance and a hawkish stance on China that has put him at odds with other members of the party.
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