= Ryuutarou Hashimoto = '''Ryuutarou Hashimoto''' ('''橋本 龍太郎''') was [[Japan/PrimeMinisters|prime minister of Japan]]. <> ---- == History == Hashimoto was elected to the diet in 1963 for the [[Japan/LiberalDemocraticParty|LDP]]. In the [[Japan/JapanSocialistParty|JSP]]-led coalition government, Hashimoto served as Minister of International Trade and Industry. In September 1995 a leadership contest was held, in which Hashimoto beat out rivals including [[Japan/JunichiroKoizumi|Junichiro Koizumi]]. [[Japan/TomiichiMurayama|Tomiichi Murayama]] resigned after the JSP performed poorly in the 1995 House of Councillors elections. While the JSP reformed into the [[Japan/SocialDemocraticParty|Social Democratic Party]], Hashimoto led the LDP into coalition leadership. The 1996 general elections dealt another blow to the SDP and the coalition devolved into a supply-and-confidence agreement. Trying to solve the issue of leading a minority government, Hashimoto called for the 1998 House of Councilors elections. Instead the LDP lost seats. Hashimoto resigned as a result and [[Japan/KeizouObuchi|Keizou Obuchi]] became prime minister. ---- CategoryRicottone