Shomei Yokouchi

Shōmei Yokouchi isn't exactly a household name, and I'll be honest — I had to sit with this one for a minute. Born in 1942 in Nirasaki, a quiet inland city in Yamanashi, he made the long climb to Tokyo University and then into Japanese politics, which in that era was no small thing. The kind of postwar grind that built careers out of sheer persistence rather than flash. He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Star, which is the sort of decoration you earn by actually putting in decades of unglamorous work — not the type handed out for show. I get a very particular image of him: stoic, methodical, the kind of politician who probably never trended on anything but got things done anyway. He passed away in April 2020, right as the world went sideways. There's something quietly dignified about a life like that.

Shomei Yokouchi (March 2, 1942 – April 21, 2020) was a Japanese politician born in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture. He graduated from the University of Tokyo and built a career in public service. He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star in recognition of his contributions. He passed away on April 21, 2020.

Name (English)

Shomei Yokouchi

Name (Japanese)

横内正明

Reading

よこうち しょうめい

Born

March 2, 1942 – April 21, 2020

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Pisces / Horse

Origin

Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Occupation

Politician

University

University of Tokyo

Awards & achievements

• Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (year unknown)

• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A8%AA%E5%86%85%E6%AD%A3%E6%98%8E
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q732124

Tags

• From Yamanashi Prefecture
• Politician

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.