Masatoshi Wakabayashi

Masatoshi Wakabayashi (若林 正俊) was a Japanese politician who was a member of Liberal Democratic Party.

Life and 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.

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

Resignation
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.

Honours

 * 🇯🇵 Japan:
 * JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 1Class BAR.svg Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (July 2011)