Yuichiro Ichitani, Member of the House of Representatives of the Japan Restoration Party

As a business owner, I want to become a politician who can directly convey the voices of those on the front lines

Member of the House of Representatives of the Japan Restoration Party　Yuichiro Ichitani(Yuichiro Ichitani)

■ Profile

Born in 1975. Father of two children. Hobbies include driving, cooking, and reading. Currently working hard raising children! He continues to work in the field of caregiving as a chiropractor, and is active in reforming systems and improving productivity in the caregiving industry.
He studied politics under House of Councillors member Toru Azuma and became the branch chief of the Hyogo 1st electoral district branch. He is a member of the 5th and 2nd classes of the Ishin Political Academy in Hyogo. He was elected to his first term in the 2021 House of Representatives election.

Yuichiro Ichitani is a businessman who was originally active in the medical and nursing care industries. We asked him about what led him to enter the world of politics for Japan as a member of the House of Representatives.

■Legal reform was what prompted me to become a politician

Before I became a politician, I worked in the medical and nursing care industries for 20 years. In the medical and nursing care industries, a triple revision of medical care, nursing care, and disability insurance is carried out every six years. 2018, when I was a manager, was also the year of the triple revision of medical care, nursing care, and disability insurance, and it was a year that brought about major changes in the way the company was run. I was very nervous at the time.
The 2018 triple revision was supposed to "make drastic cuts to nursing care and medical care points to prevent the next generation from having to bear the burden of medical and nursing care costs," but the ruling party actually stopped the revision just one month before the bill was decided. Lowering nursing care and medical care points increases the burden on the elderly. For this reason, I felt at the time that the LDP wanted to cherish the silver vote in the upcoming House of Councillors election in 2019.
As I was also running a nursing care business, I was afraid that if the score was lowered, my company might go bankrupt, but I felt that it was wrong to cancel the legal revision just because it was convenient for politicians. From then on, I felt a strong sense of mission to convey the voices of those on the front lines, based on my many years of experience as a business manager.
Of course, the only place I could get my voice heard was the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. In fact, I had never been involved in politics, but I went to my judo master and told him how I felt, saying, "Please let me run for Diet member." At first, he was surprised and asked, "Are you serious? Are you okay with your company going bankrupt?" But I replied, "The company will be fine. My right and left hands will take care of it. Please let me run for Diet member." I had no hesitation at the time.
My mentor listened to my thoughts and said, "So, which political party do you want to join? I'll take you to any political party," and that's how I got to where I am today. At the time, Osaka Restoration, founded by Toru Hashimoto, was carrying out major reforms in Osaka, and I admired them so much that I decided to join the Osaka Restoration Party.

■First elected in 2021 in Hyogo Prefecture's most competitive district

In 2020, I was appointed branch chief in the 1st electoral district, the most competitive district in Hyogo Prefecture, and subsequently ran for office, despite being told I had almost no chance of winning. I was born in 1975 and experienced the employment ice age. Since everyone else was telling rather gloomy stories, I wanted to take on a bold challenge, so I volunteered. It turns out that a relative of my grandfather's served as vice governor of Hyogo Prefecture 40 years ago, and the name Ichitani was well-known in the 1st district of Hyogo Prefecture (laughs). I had no interest in politics at all, so I didn't even know that. However, thanks to my uncle and grandfather, I was able to win, and now I work hard every day to help everyone.

■Message to university students

I was impressed by this media outlet's focus on students who will carry the future of Japan on their shoulders, and the fact that it directly voices the voices of various business leaders. I believe that learning about the experiences of people who have truly faced various hardships will broaden your possibilities. I hope to be of service to you all as a politician. I would be happy if I could more strongly communicate the importance of politics to make Japan even more brilliant.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on October 8, 2023 by Maho Wada, a third-year student at Nihon University