The Finance Minister of Japan, as of this printing. Shiokawa was Prime Minister Junichiro KoizumiÂ’s campaign chief during the 2001 leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party, which is JapanÂ’s ruling party. Shiokawa belongs to the Mori faction within the LDP. He lost his seat in the Lower House election in October 1996 but made a comeback in 2000 at age 78. Shiokawa has served 11 terms in the Japanese Diet. He was chief cabinet secretary under Takeo Fukuda, transport minister under Zenko Suzuki, education minister in the cabinet of Yasuhiro Nakasone, chief cabinet secretary under Sousuke Uno, and home affairs minister under Kiichi Miyazawa.