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Hideo Higashikokubaru

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Hideo Higashikokubaru
東国原ひがしこくばる 英夫ひでお
Member of the House of Representatives of Japan
In office
21 December 2012 – 17 December 2013
ConstituencyKinki PR block[1]
Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture
In office
23 January 2007 – 20 January 2011
Preceded byTadahiro Ando
Succeeded byShunji Kōno
Personal details
Born (1957-09-16) 16 September 1957 (age 67)
Miyakonojō, Miyazaki, Japan
Political partyJapan Restoration Party
(2012-2013)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2007-2012)
Spouse(s)Kazuko Kato
(1990-2006 divorced)[2]
Alma materSenshu University
OccupationPolitician, comedian, actor
WebsiteOfficial website

Hideo Higashikokubaru (東国原ひがしこくばる 英夫ひでお, Higashikokubaru Hideo, born 16 September 1957) is a Japanese politician. He originally rose to fame as a comedian and actor under the stage name Sonomanma Higashi (そのまんま東ひがし, literally "Higashi without change" or "simply Higashi"), and was known for his role in the popular game show Takeshi's Castle.

He served as the governor of Miyazaki Prefecture from 2007 to 2011, resigning to run against incumbent Shintarō Ishihara for Governor of Tokyo in the 2011 election, where he came in second.[3] He was elected to the House of Representatives in the general election of 2012, but resigned in December 2013.[4]

Early life

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Higashikokubaru was born in Miyakonojō, a city in Miyazaki Prefecture and attended Senshu University from 1976 to 1980, where he majored in economics. After graduating from Senshu, Higashikokubaru apprenticed to Takeshi Kitano and became a comedian in 1982.[5]

He appeared on Takeshi's Castle, which was dubbed on United States television as Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC); Higashikokubaru was dubbed as "Kenny Blankenship" in the American version.[citation needed]

Incidents

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On December 9, 1986, Higashi was one of those who were arrested at the offices of Friday magazine, after he and other members of Takeshi Kitano's group attacked the magazine offices (among others spraying fire extinguishers) to protest a critical article about Takeshi Kitano that the magazine had published. All attackers were sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

On October 13, 1998, a manager of a so-called image club (a type of brothel) was arrested for employing underage girls. A 16-year-old employee pointed Higashi out as one of her customers. He was interrogated several times by the police, but was not indicted as he claimed he did not know the girl was under 18. His then-wife apologized on his behalf to the Japanese public via the media, and he himself took a five-month voluntary break from his work as an entertainer.

On November 22, 1999, at a year-end-party held for Takeshi Kitano office employees, he kicked another participant in the head, injuring him. He was prosecuted for this, and fined, after which he again took a voluntary leave from his entertainment activity.

Higashikokubaru shifted his interest to politics around 1999 after being involved in these publicized incidents. He enrolled in the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II at Waseda University in 2000, and graduated in March 2004, re-entering as a politics and economics student in April 2004. He divorced from his wife in February 2006 and dropped out of Waseda in March 2006.[5]

Governor of Miyazaki

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On January 21, 2007, Higashi was elected governor of Miyazaki Prefecture, replacing former governor Tadahiro Ando, who resigned after being arrested for bid rigging. He used his official name (Hideo Higashikokubaru) as governor of Miyazaki.[6]

He declared a state of emergency in Miyazaki during a major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in May 2010.[7]

He decided not to run for re-election in 2010, and left office on January 20, 2011.

Later activity

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Higashikokubaru ran in the Tokyo gubernatorial election on April 10, 2011, in which he lost to incumbent governor Shintarō Ishihara.[8]

Both Higashikokubaru and Ishihara ran as proportional representation candidates for the Japan Restoration Party in the December 2012 general election for the House of Representatives.[9]

Higashikokubaru resigned from the JRP in December 2013 stating that "the political ideology and policies of the Japan Restoration Party as well as their directions have changed and they are now far different from mine."[10]

Following the resignation of Tokyo governor Naoki Inose on December 19, Higashikokubaru was widely rumored to be a potential candidate for the gubernatorial election in February 2014.[11] He denied that he had resigned in order to run for the governorship, saying "the timing is a little too good. People would suspect I'm up to something. I'm not. For me, [Inose's resignation] is just troublesome."[12] On January 10 he stated that he had "2,000%" "no scheme, plan, or intention" to run.[13]

Personal

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Higashikokubaru is an active runner and has completed several marathons. He ran the Lake Saroma 100 km (62 mi) ultra-marathon in 13 hours in June 1995, and has also run the Gold Coast Marathon and Okinawa Marathon three times each. He also played handball in high school and competed in the National Sports Festival of Japan in 1975.[5]

Filmography

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Movies

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Television

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  • Waratteru Baai desu yo! (1980)
  • Oretachi Hyokinzoku (1981–1989)
  • Owarai Star Tanjo (1983)
  • Super Jocky (1983–1990)
  • Takeshi's Castle (1986–1990)
  • Darenimo ienai (1993)

References

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  1. ^ Kinki results
  2. ^ Comedian Sonomanma Higashi, actress Kazuko Kato divorce[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Higashikokubaru to run again for Tokyo governorship". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  4. ^ Yoshida, Reiji (11 December 2013). "Higashikokubaru opts out of Nippon Ishin, Diet". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "東国原ひがしこくばるプロフィール". Hideo Higashikokubaru Official Website. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  6. ^ Brasor, Phillip. From comedian to politician: an easy step for Miyazaki's governor, The Japan Times
  7. ^ Yamaguchi, Mari (19 May 2010). "Foot-and-mouth disease hits Japan". AP. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  8. ^ Ishihara easily wins reelection / Tokyo governor takes 4th term; DPJ suffers setback in local polls The Daily Yomiuri, 2011-04-11
  9. ^ "維新いしんと民主みんしゅの追加ついか公認こうにん（30日にち発表はっぴょう）". 日本経済新聞にほんけいざいしんぶん. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  10. ^ "High profile Japanese lawmaker resigns over "ideological differences"". Xinhua. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  11. ^ "猪瀬いのせ知事ちじが辞職じしょく表明ひょうめい 「都政とせいを停滞ていたいさせられない」". 日本経済新聞にほんけいざいしんぶん. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013. ７月がつの参院さんいん選せんへの出馬しゅつばを見送みおくった元もと新党しんとう改革かいかく代表だいひょうの舛添ますぞえ要一よういち氏し、日本にっぽん維新いしんの会かいを離党りとうして衆院しゅういん議員ぎいんを辞職じしょくした東国原ひがしこくばる英夫ひでお氏しらの名前なまえも浮上ふじょうしている。
  12. ^ "東国原ひがしこくばる氏しため息いき「非常ひじょうに間あいだが悪わるいですね」". 日刊にっかんスポーツ. 20 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013. 「あまりにタイミングが良よすぎる。何なにかがあるんじゃないかと勘かんぐられる。何なにもない。私わたしにしてみれば（猪瀬いのせ氏しの辞職じしょくは）迷惑めいわくだ」と顔かおをしかめた。
  13. ^ "東国原ひがしこくばる氏し「２０００％出でない」 都知事とちじ選せん、記者きしゃ団だんに語かたる". 朝日新聞あさひしんぶん. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014. 報道陣ほうどうじんの囲かこみ取材しゅざいに応おうじ、「（立候補りっこうほの）計画けいかくも予定よていもつもりもない。２千せん％ない」と話はなした。
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