Member of the House of Representatives and Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, Taishiro Yamagiwa

Creating innovation and creating a world where life is valued

■ Profile

Graduated from the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, and completed the Doctoral Program in Veterinary Medicine at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine). After running an animal-related business, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003. He has served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council. In the Kishida Cabinet, he was in charge of economic and fiscal policy, economic revitalization, new capitalism, COVID-19 countermeasures and health crisis management, social security reform for all generations, and the TPP.

Since his first election in 2003, Minister Taishiro Yamagiwa has been working hard to develop the Japanese economy. We explore his student days, when he discovered issues that needed to be changed in the great outdoors. We also explore why Minister Yamagiwa, a politician who loves living things and nature, is devoting all his energy to revitalizing the economy.

■ What I realized I should do while interacting with nature

　I loved nature and living creatures, and as a student, I wanted to become a veterinarian. To that end, I attended the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University. Because I was surrounded by abundant nature, I spent the early part of my student life doing various activities in nature with friends and backpacking around the world. In the fall of my third year, I joined an anatomy lab, but a professor, concerned about my lack of interest in my research, suggested I study whales in Antarctica. I couldn't imagine anything more exciting than being able to travel to the Antarctic wilderness, so I began studying whales. Whales are fascinating animals, so I decided to continue my research in graduate school. I studied 18 hours a day in preparation for admission to the University of Tokyo Graduate School. I think this was the first time I ever studied so hard.

■ Driven by conviction and passion, he decided to become a politician

　At the same time, while continuing my research, I was constantly left with a feeling of unease, wondering, "What is it that I should be doing?" One day, while on a ship in Antarctica, I received a fax informing me that former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka had passed away. I still remember vividly the instinct that ran through me when I saw the news: "Maybe what I really should be doing is politics."

　To begin with, as I interact with various living creatures and nature, I have always wondered why humans are the only species of living creatures who are arrogant. I felt that the world needed to change to one that respects and values ​​life more. I had been struggling to find a way to resolve these issues that had been bothering me. Then, in Antarctica, I heard the news of former Prime Minister Tanaka's death, and I realized that it was politics that could change the rules of the world. It was a kind of grand delusion, like "If I don't do it, who will?", but it was this passion that led me to aim to become a politician.

　However, graduate students cannot immediately become politicians, so after obtaining a PhD in veterinary medicine, I opened a veterinary clinic. Running for office also requires funds, but at the time, I had the impression that if I received donations from companies, I would have to be considerate of those companies when I was elected. Therefore, I ran for office using the funds I earned from running my veterinary clinic, and was first elected in 2003. There were concerns from those around me about me leaving a stable job to pursue an unstable path, but my strong passion was conveyed to those around me, and I think that eventually they began to support me. In reality, I probably caused them a lot of trouble, though.

■ Creating new value in the economy

　As a politician, I focus my activities on the economy. Why is the economy the focus of someone determined to create a world that values ​​life more? As the old saying goes, "When you have enough food and clothing, you know courtesy," if you can't make a living, you won't have the luxury of thinking about others or the lives of others. The economy is what enables people to make a living, what enriches people.

　Having worked in the economics field for many years, I've come to understand that what Japan lacks most is innovation, which rapidly creates new value. When new value is created, it is paid for, and business is born. Revitalizing the Japanese economy is all about creating an environment in which new value, a source of wealth, is self-generated. However, despite working on this for over 10 years, it has yet to be completed. While I truly want to complete this, it is not easy. This is because it is people who can create innovation, and unless each of us acts with the determination to create new value, we cannot create an environment in which innovation can occur self-sustainingly. Humans are creatures of inertia, so we tend to think that if we can live today and tomorrow as we are, there is no need for new value. This will not lead to a new world. In order for everyone to be motivated and take action to make the world a little better than it is now, politics must firmly establish an environment. This is the most difficult theme, but it is the theme where it is most clear that if we do it, the world will change. It is this theme that I am working on as Minister for Economic Revitalization.

■Message to university students

　Anyway, try to get interested in a variety of things. It all starts from there. If you get interested in everything in the world and get involved, you will find things you want to do and things you have to do. You will be lucky if you can find something you want to do. Furthermore, if you find something you have to do, that can be said to be your calling. Student days are a precious time as you have 24 hours to use as you please. Try to live your life with an interest in everything.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on April 22, 2022 by Kokoro Sato, a third-year student at Tsuda University