Member of the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office Yasushi Hosaka

Transforming Japan with the power of youth, for a stronger and kinder Japan

■ Profile

Born on February 17, 1974 in Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture. Family: wife, three children, and dog. After graduating from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Aoyama Gakuin University, he worked at an accounting firm. He then worked in the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, including nursing homes, special nursing homes for the elderly, rehabilitation hospitals, preparatory schools, and vocational schools. He is a member of the Kanto-Shinetsu Certified Public Tax Accountants Association.
He was elected in the general election in October 2017. He is currently serving his second term as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Environment and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Cabinet Office.

Despite being a second-term member of the House of Representatives, Yasushi Hosaka enjoys high approval ratings, with reports of his victory in the last general election even though 0% of the votes were counted. He also serves as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Environment and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Cabinet Office, and his slogan, "A Strong and Kind Japan," is a reference to what kind of country he envisions. We spoke to him about the social systems that he believes should be changed in Japan.

■ Becoming a politician to make society happier

I never thought I would become a politician. My father was a politician, so politics was something I was familiar with from a young age, but I never thought I would become a politician in the future. Politicians involve the family in many ways, and they are often portrayed as villains in TV dramas and movies, so there wasn't a good image of them.
During my university years, I wasn't interested in politics or civil service, and instead studied accounting at Aoyama Gakuin University's School of Science and Engineering, hoping to run a company someday. I joined an accounting firm soon after entering the workforce, but with the establishment of the long-term care insurance system in 12, I began working in nursing care. Nursing care is a job where you receive many direct "thank yous," and I found it very rewarding. However, while working in nursing care, I began to question, "Is this society truly a happy one?" Sadly, when caring for an elderly person, there are times when you have to be present at the end of their life. When an elderly person is in critical condition, you inform their family, but some family members say, "Call us when you've finished taking care of them," and are unable to come to see them at the end.
I was truly saddened that my family members were in critical condition, but no one came to visit, and that their final moments were simply treated as a "disposal." Can we really call a society where this sort of thing happens normally a happy one? We can't, can we? That's why I wanted to change the way this society works and make Japanese society truly happy, and so I decided to become a politician.

■ Role as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment

The Ministry of the Environment has two main responsibilities. The first is the pursuit of unchanging principles. The Ministry of the Environment was established as a separate ministry from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in response to the Minamata disease issue. Its responsibilities include solving problems such as pollution-related diseases, protecting the Earth's natural environment and ecosystems, and maintaining a comfortable living environment.
The second is addressing the issue of climate change. These solutions primarily involve decarbonization to reduce CO2 emissions, the creation of a resource-circulating society that reuses plastics, and the creation of a decentralized society where energy is generated in various locations and society can function locally. Creating a decentralized society has two aspects: supply and demand. The supply side aims for fundamental solutions such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will likely be the primary player. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Environment will primarily focus on devising policies to encourage action by the public, who represent the demand side. A prime example is the recent introduction of a charge for disposable plastic bags. Since disposable plastic bags have become a paid item, more people have begun to carry eco-bags when shopping. As such, devising mechanisms to encourage public participation in environmentally conscious activities is the role of the Ministry of the Environment.

■ Making Japan a strong and kind country through economic power

"Changing Japan with the power of young people, for a strong and kind Japan." This is the slogan I have been using since the last House of Representatives election. Some young people seem to have given up, believing that politics will not change anything, but in reality, that is not the case.
The Suga administration's efforts to lower mobile phone charges and the ongoing establishment of an insurance system for infertility treatment were policies that were realized as a result of young people's voices. I want young people to know that politics can change if they speak out. To that end, I am also involved in activities to interact with young people, such as gathering students for discussions and arranging tours of the National Diet Building.
I also feel that many young people today are looking overseas, so I want to create an environment where young people can be active on a global scale. I am considering policies such as making school free and expanding the scope of scholarships so that people can receive an education freely. I want to ensure that everyone can receive an education without worry, so that young people do not have to drop out of school for financial reasons.
Furthermore, I believe that my slogan, "A Strong and Kind Japan," refers to a society in which the weak can live in peace. To achieve this, we need a strong nation, economic power, and a determined people. Of these, a strong economy is particularly important. Plenty of pleasant words are meaningless in politics. I believe that in order to improve economic strength, it would be appropriate to issue government bonds for things that will have a future return, such as education and construction costs. Strangely enough, money grows through borrowing. For example, the economy boomed during the period of high economic growth because private individuals began borrowing, which increased the amount of money and led to higher wages. There are three types of users of money: individuals, companies, and the government. Currently, individuals and companies are not investing, so to achieve economic growth, the government needs to borrow and invest to put the economy on a growth track. My future goal is to build a system that can support Japanese society with a strong economy.

■Message to university students

Believe in your potential. You young people can do anything starting now. Don't forget that each and every one of you has something wonderful within you. If you acknowledge what you have and hone it, you will be able to blossom. Even if you can't blossom right away, try to grow strong roots. Increase your self-esteem and believe in your potential.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on March 2, 2022 by Kokoro Sato, second-year student at Tsuda University