Masaaki Yamazaki 1942 – 2026

Biography

Masaaki Yamazaki was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as President of the House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet, from 2013 to 2016. Born on May 24, 1942, in Nishitani, Ono, in Fukui Prefecture, he rose from a small town council to the Diet, winning election to the House of Councillors in 1992 as the representative for Fukui. He served as deputy chief cabinet secretary from 2003 to 2005 and held his Fukui seat for more than three decades, winning a sixth term in 2022. At his death he was the oldest sitting member of the chamber. He died in the early hours of November 13, 2026, aged 84, with a by-election for his seat expected the following spring.