Norihisa Tamura

Norihisa Tamura
田村 憲久
Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare
In office 26 December 2012 – 3 September 2014
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Succeeded by	Yasuhisa Shiozaki
Personal details
Born	(1964-12-15) 15 December 1964 Matsusaka, Japan
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party
Alma mater	Chiba University

Norihisa Tamura (田村 憲久, Tamura Norihisa, born 15 December 1964) is a Japanese politician serving in the Lower House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Early life and education

A native of Matsusaka, Mie, Tamura was born on 15 December 1964. He is a graduate of Chiba University's faculty of economics and law.

Career

Tamura started his career at the family-run construction company Nippon Doken Co. in Tsu, Mie, in 1987. Next, he began to work as a secretary of Hajime Tamura, who is his uncle and former a lower house member, serving as labor minister as well as economy, trade and industry minister.

Tamura was elected to the lower house for the first time in 1996, taking his uncle's seat. He has served sixth times as a lower house member, representing the Mie Prefecture District 4. He became parliamentary secretary for health, labour and welfare in the Mori cabinet and then for education, culture, sports, science and technology in the cabinet of Junichiro Koizumi. He was appointed vice internal affairs minister in the first cabinet of Shinzo Abe in 2006. He headed the committee pf health, labor and welfare in the lower house during the prime ministry of Taro Aso.