Hirokazu Matsuno

is a Japanese politician who served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from October 2021 until December 2023. He is serving in the House of Representatives as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Matsuno does not believe that the 1923 Kantō Massacre occurred, He was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2000 after an unsuccessful run in 1996.

In the 3 August 2016 reshuffle, Matsuno joined the Shinzō Abe cabinet as Minister of education. Matsuno became the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Cabinet of Japan under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.This role’s responsibilities include overseeing general affairs that pertain to the Cabinet and Security Council of Japan, as well as the collection of information concerning the important policies of the cabinet, as well as others.

Matsuno held three other ministry head positions simultaneously whilst being the Chief Cabinet Secretary for the Kishida Cabinet. Matsuno’s additional positions included the Minister in charge of promoting vaccinations, the Minister in Charge of Mitigating the Impact of U.S. forces in Okinawa, and the Minister in charge of the abduction issue. During his time as the Minister in Charge of Mitigating the Impact of U.S. forces in Okinawa, Matsuno visited the Sakishima Islands within the Okinawa prefecture in preparation for the worst in July 2023. There, Matsuno discussed and agreed with local governments on the need for more defense planning and infrastructure, such as the need for shelters and the upgrading of airport and seaport functions for evacuations. Matsuno is the first Chief Cabinet Secretary ever to visit the Sakishima Islands. In his occupation of the position of the Minister in Charge of the Abduction Issue, He addressed the United Nations Online Symposium on 29 July 2023, regarding the issue.

Matsuno was one of several cabinet ministers who resigned from their posts in December 2023 amid allegations of a slush fund involving members of the LDP.

Controversy Affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi, along with most members of the Abe cabinet, Matsuno denies the existence of the Imperial Japan sex slavery system known under the euphemism 'Comfort women', and in 2014 demanded the revision of the Kono and Murayama statements, considered as landmark declarations from Japanese governments towards the recognition of war crimes.

Matsuno is also a member of the following right-wing Diet groups: In a 2023 press conference, he stated that there was insufficient evidence for the event, directly contradicting a 2009 expert panel of the government's Central Disaster Management Council. Matsuno disavowed the conclusions found by that panel. On December 8, 2023, it was reported that Matsuno allegedly failed to declare over in income over the previous five years. On December 12 the lower house, of which the LDP holds a majority, voted down a motion of no confidence against Matsuno that had been put forward by the opposing Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Matsuno submitted his resignation from the cabinet on December 14, 2023, along with several other LDP officials.