Masatoshi Wakabayashi

was a Japanese politician who was a member of Liberal Democratic Party.

Political career

Wakabayashi became the third Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries appointed in Shinzō Abe's first cabinet after Toshikatsu Matsuoka killed himself as a result of financial scandal and Matsuoka's successor Norihiko Akagi resigned due to other financial scandals. He was appointed to the same position again in Abe's first reshuffled cabinet after Takehiko Endo's resignation.

After Abe's resignation, he worked under Yasuo Fukuda, who appointed Seiichi Ota his successor.

After the LDP were defeated in the 2009 election, it was unclear who would be their candidate in the diet nomination for prime minister, since Taro Aso had already announced his resignation as party president and no successor had been chosen. The party ultimately decided to nominate Wakabayashi, who was then chairman of the general assembly of LDP diet members, for Prime Minister, though he had no hope of being elected.

Resignation and death In March 2010 he resigned from the Diet after being accused of pressing the voting button for fellow lawmaker Mikio Aoki, whose Diet seat was next to him, while Aoki was absent from a house plenary vote.

Wakabayashi died in Tokyo on 11 November 2023, at the age of 89.

Honours