Yoshitaka Sakurada

Yoshitaka Sakurada (桜田 義孝, Sakurada Yoshitaka, born December 20, 1949) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

A native of Kashiwa, Chiba and graduate of Meiji University, Sakurada had served in the city assembly of Kashiwa for two terms since 1987 and in the assembly of Chiba Prefecture since 1995. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996.

His profile on the LDP website:

• Director, Committee on Rules and Administration
• Member, Committee on Fundamental National Policies
• Member, Deliberative Council on Political Ethics
• Deputy Chairman, Diet Affairs Committee of LDP

Sakurada is a board member of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020), and serves as a political adviser to the Pachinko Chain Stores Association (PCSA).

Affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi, Sakurada attended on March 3, 2014 the meeting to seek a review of the Kono Statement, where he voiced his support to the revision. In January 2016, he said that World War II comfort women were "professional prostitutes. That's business." He apologized later in the day.

Sakurada is a member of the following right-wing Diet groups:

• Nippon Kaigi Diet discussion group (日本会議国会議員懇談会 - Nippon kaigi kokkai giin kondankai)
• Conference of parlementarians on the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会) - NB: SAS a.k.a. Sinseiren, Shinto Political League, Shinto Seiji Renmei Kokkai Giin Kondankai
• Parliamentarians acting to protect the Japanese territory (日本の領土を守るため行動する議員連盟)

Sakurada gave the following answers to the questionnaire submitted by Mainichi to parlementarians in 2012:

• in favor of the revision of the Constitution
• in favor of the right of collective self-defense (revision of Article 9)
• against the reform of the National assembly (unicameral instead of bicameral)
• in favor of reactivating nuclear power plants
• against the goal of zero nuclear power by 2030s
• in favor of the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Okinawa)
• in favor of evaluating the purchase of Senkaku Islands by the Government
• in favor of a strong attitude versus China
• against the participation of Japan to the Trans-Pacific Partnership
• in favor of considering a nuclear-armed Japan in the future
• against the reform of the Imperial Household that would allow women to retain their Imperial status even after marriage

• Nippon Kaigi website
• "河野談話見直し、文科副大臣が集会で賛意　菅長官が注意" - Asahi Shimbun - March 4, 2014
• LDP lawmaker says 'comfort women' were prostitutes Japan Today
• Mainichi 2012: senkyo.mainichi.jp/46shu/kaihyo_area_meikan.html?mid=A12008005005