Takeshi Maeda

is a retired Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).

Early life A native of Yoshino District, Nara, Maeda graduated from Kyoto University with a master's degree.

Political career Maeda was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, representing the Nara at-large constituency. After serving in the House of Representatives for four terms, one as representative for the Nara 4th constituency, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2004.

In September 2011 he was appointed as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the cabinet of newly appointed prime minister Yoshihiko Noda. However, Maeda left the ministry the following year after a series of censure motions were passed by the House of Councillors in April 2012. These motions required prime minister Noda to dismiss both Maeda and the Minister of Defence Naoki Tanaka in order to get the necessary support from the opposition parties to pass his plan to increase Japan's consumption tax rate.

Maeda retired from the House of Councillors after his term expired in 2016.