Akihiro Ota

Akihiro Ota
太田 昭宏
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
In office 26 December 2012 – 7 October 2015
Prime Minister	Shinzō Abe
Preceded by	Yuichiro Hata
Succeeded by	Keiichi Ishii
President of the New Komeito Party
In office 30 September 2006 – 8 September 2009
Preceded by	Takenori Kanzaki
Succeeded by	Natsuo Yamaguchi
Member of the House of Representatives for the Tokyo 12th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 2012
Preceded by	Ai Aoki
Member of the House of Representatives for the Tokyo 12th district
In office November 2003 – September 2009
Preceded by	Eita Yashiro [ja]
Succeeded by	Ai Aoki
Member of the House of Representatives for the Tokyo proportional representation block
In office August 1996 – November 2003
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Michiyo Takagi
Member of the House of Representatives for the Tokyo 9th district [ja]
In office July 1993 – September 2005
Preceded by	Iwao Nakamura [ja]
Succeeded by	Seat redistricted
Personal details
Born	(1945-10-06) October 6, 1945 (age 78) Shinshiro, Aichi, Japan
Political party	Komeito (1990–1994; 1998–present)
Other political affiliations	New Frontier (1994–1998)
Alma mater	Kyoto University

Akihiro Ota (太田 昭宏, Ōta Akihiro, born October 6, 1945) is a Japanese politician of the Komeito Party, currently serving his seventh term in the House of Representatives in the National Diet. Ota has represented three districts within the Tokyo metropolis since first entering the national Diet in 1993. He served as president of the Komeito Party from 2006 until the general election in September 2009, at which time he lost his seat in the Diet. Upon his return to the House in December 2012, Ota was appointed as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, a post he held until October 2015.

Ota has been involved with Komeito and the Soka Gakkai movement since graduation from university and was called "Komeito's prince" earlier in his career.