| Wataru Kubo | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Office1: | Minister of Finance |
| Primeminister1: | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| Term Start1: | 5 January 1996 |
| Term End1: | 7 November 1996 |
| Predecessor1: | Masayoshi Takemura |
| Successor1: | Hiroshi Mitsuzuka |
| Office2: | Deputy Prime Minister of Japan |
| Primeminister2: | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| Term Start2: | 5 January 1996 |
| Term End2: | 7 November 1996 |
| Predecessor2: | Ryutaro Hashimoto |
| Successor2: | Naoto Kan (2009) |
| Birth Date: | 15 January 1929 |
| Birth Place: | Kagoshima Prefecture, Empire of Japan |
| Death Place: | Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan |
| Party: | Social Democratic Party (1963–1997) Democratic Party of Japan (1997–2001) |
| Alma Mater: | Hiroshima University of Literature and Science |
was a Japanese politician from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and then from Democratic Party of Japan. He served as deputy prime minister and finance minister of Japan from 5 January 1996 to 7 November 1996.
Kubo was born in Kagoshima Prefecture on 15 January 1929.[1] He finished Kagoshima Normal School (currently Kagoshima University) and entered Department of Western History, Hiroshima University of Literature and Science (currently Hiroshima University).[2] He received a bachelor's degree from Hiroshima University of Literature and Science in 1952.[1]
Kubo started his career as a high-school teacher.[3] Then he involved in politics, and in 1963, he was elected to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly where he served for three terms.[1] He was first elected to the upper house in July 1974 from Kagoshima at-large district.[4] Until 1993 he served as chairman and a member of different committees at the house, including the budget and finance committee in the upper house.[1] In September 1993, he was named as secretary general of the Social Democratic Party during the term of the party chief Tomiichi Murayama.[4] [5] He was also chief finance policy strategist[6] and deputy chairman of the party.[7] [8]
He served as vice prime minister and finance minister from 5 January to 7 November 1996 in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto that was a coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, the SDP and New Party Sakigake.[4] [9] Kubo's term ended when Hashimoto inaugurated his second cabinet and the coalition parties SPD and New Party Sakigake remained outside the government. Kubo was succeeded by Hiroshi Mitsuzuka as finance minister.[10]
Kubo left the SPD on 6 January 1997 due to the disagreements with the SPD chief Takako Doi.[11] [12] After his resignation, Kubo joined the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).[8] Then he became a member of the upper house with the DPJ.[13] He retired from politics as a member of the DPJ in June 2001 after serving four terms at the upper house, being a representative of Kagoshima Prefecture.[4] [5]
Kubo had a high rank in kendo.[14] He received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan's top award for contributions to the state and society, in November 2001.[15]
Kubo died at a hospital in Kagoshima on 24 June 2003.[5] He was 74.[15]