Politician. His service included terms as Japan's chief cabinet secretary and deputy prime minister. He was a native of Tokushima Prefecture and graduated from Tokyo University's Faculty of Law in 1939. After successively serving as director general of the National Police Agency and deputy chief cabinet secretary in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 in the former Tokushima Prefecture Constituency. In 1979, Gotoda, then serving his second term in the lower house as a Liberal Democratic Party member, was selected to serve as both the Masayoshi Ohira Cabinet's home affairs minister and director general of the Hokkaido Development Agency. He was a member of the Yasuhiro Nakasone Cabinet, formed in 1982, for five years, serving as chief cabinet secretary and director general of the Management and Coordination Agency. As a core member of that Cabinet, he demonstrated skill in promoting administrative and financial reforms and dealing with security issues, including the aftermath of the bombing of a Korean Air Lines jetliner. He became justice minister in the Kiichi Miyazawa Cabinet in December 1992 and also served as deputy prime minister from April 1993. Gotoda worked hard to achieve political reforms, including a revision of the lower house election system, while serving as chairman of his party's political reform committee and other posts. After retiring from political service in 1996 after serving his seventh term as a Diet member, he worked as a political commentator until failing health forced him to stop a few months prior to his death.
Politician. His service included terms as Japan's chief cabinet secretary and deputy prime minister. He was a native of Tokushima Prefecture and graduated from Tokyo University's Faculty of Law in 1939. After successively serving as director general of the National Police Agency and deputy chief cabinet secretary in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 in the former Tokushima Prefecture Constituency. In 1979, Gotoda, then serving his second term in the lower house as a Liberal Democratic Party member, was selected to serve as both the Masayoshi Ohira Cabinet's home affairs minister and director general of the Hokkaido Development Agency. He was a member of the Yasuhiro Nakasone Cabinet, formed in 1982, for five years, serving as chief cabinet secretary and director general of the Management and Coordination Agency. As a core member of that Cabinet, he demonstrated skill in promoting administrative and financial reforms and dealing with security issues, including the aftermath of the bombing of a Korean Air Lines jetliner. He became justice minister in the Kiichi Miyazawa Cabinet in December 1992 and also served as deputy prime minister from April 1993. Gotoda worked hard to achieve political reforms, including a revision of the lower house election system, while serving as chairman of his party's political reform committee and other posts. After retiring from political service in 1996 after serving his seventh term as a Diet member, he worked as a political commentator until failing health forced him to stop a few months prior to his death.
Bio by: Warrick L. Barrett
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