Chūichi Date

{{Short description|Japanese politician (born 1939)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Chūichi Date | native_name = {{nobold|伊達忠一}} | native_name_lang = ja | image = Chuichi Date 20190624.jpg | caption = Date in 2019 | office = President of the House of Councillors | monarch = Akihito<br>Naruhito | vice_president = Akira Gunji | term_start = 1 August 2016 | term_end = 28 July 2019 | predecessor = Masaaki Yamazaki | successor = Akiko Santō | office1 = Member of the House of Councillors | term_start1 = 29 July 2001 | term_end1 = 28 July 2019 | predecessor1 = Hisamitsu Sugano | successor1 = Harumi Takahashi | constituency1 = Hokkaido at-large | office2 = Member of the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly | term_start2 = 1991 | term_end2 = 2001 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | constituency2 = Atsubetsu Ward | term_start3 = 1983 | term_end3 = 1987 | predecessor3 = | successor3 = | constituency3 = Ashibetsu City | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|1|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan | death_date = | party = Liberal Democratic | alma_mater = Sapporo Medical University }} {{nihongo|'''Chūichi Date'''|伊達忠一|Date Chūichi|extra=born January 20, 1939}} is a Japanese retired politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served three terms in the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature) and also served as the LDP's National Diet Committee Chairman.

A native of Ashibetsu, Hokkaido and high school graduate, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001 after serving in the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly. He was a former President of the House of Councillors.

After the assassination of Shinzo Abe in July 2022 he admitted that he had asked Abe for votes from the Unification Church (UC) in the 2016 Upper House election. According to Hokkaido Television Broadcasting reporting, Date has participated in at least three events sponsored by the UC and its front organisations, including an online event in August 2020, where he stated, "I believe that the spirit of coexistence, co-prosperity, and shared meaning, which leaders Moon and Han are preaching, is more desperately needed today than ever." Date testified that when he supported Yoshifumi Miyajima of the LDP, who ran for the House of Councillors in the 2016 national proportional election, he asked Shinzo Abe to provide votes supplied from the UC. He said that Abe agreed and Miyajima was elected for the first time, but that Abe refused to allow him to run for the Upper House this time, and Miyajima had to withdraw from the race.<ref>[https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articles/view/life/308985 "I asked Mr. Abe for votes from the Unification Church"]</ref> The UC support was instead distributed to Inoue Yoshiyuki.<ref>[https://www.htb.co.jp/news/archives_16834.html 【解説】伊達前参議院議長安倍元総理に旧統一教会票を依頼]</ref><ref>[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/07/25/national/japan-politics-unification-church-links/ Unification Church ties to Japan's lawmakers emerge as major political issue]</ref>

== Election results == === 2001 ===

=== 2007 ===

=== 2013 ===

== References == {{Reflist}} * {{cite news |url=http://www.senkyo.janjan.jp/diet/profile/0067/00067976.html |script-title=ja:政治家情報〜伊達忠一〜 |script-newspaper=ja:ザ･選挙 |newspaper=JANJAN |accessdate=2007-11-15 |language=Japanese}}

== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.date-chuichi.jp/}} in Japanese.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Date, Chuichi}} Category:Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Category:Living people Category:1939 births Category:Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Category:Members of the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly Category:Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)