Kawaba Fuminori

Kawaba Fuminori (川場郁紀) is a Hinoan politician who has served as the Chief Executive of Hinomoto and Chairman of the Hinomoto United Party (HUP) since 10 June 2020. Kawaba has represented the Houen 1st District in the Hinomoto Gikai from 1995 to 2005 and from 2010 to 2020.

Kawaba was born in 1958 in Yuzu. He graduated from the National University of Yamatai with a degree in linguistics. In 1982, he became a correspondent for The Mikawa Times in Gyunghwa, and later became a political columnist for The Mikawa Times from 1989 to 1999.

On 4 September 2019, Kawaba was elected the leader of the HUP. He became a prominent figure in the opposition in the wake of the numerous scandals that plagued Adachi Masahiro's Trade and Labour Party (TLP) government, mainly criticizing Adachi and the TLP for their focus on attaining Hinoan independence in the 2025 Hinoan Independence Referendum while ignoring present issues in the run-up to the 2020 general election. Kawaba described Adachi's resignation in early 2020 due to strong public pressure as "one of his finest achievements". Campaigning on a platform of revitalizing the Hinoan economy, improving territorial public infrastructure, and reversing the damage done by the TLP government, Kawaba led the HUP to victory in the 2020 general election. He was appointed Chief Executive on 10 June 2020, taking over from the caretaker Chief Executive Kojima Yasushi.

Under Kawaba's leadership, the HUP government began reversing many of the "decoupling" policies that his predecessors had pursued, with the aim of further easing Hinomoto-Yamatai economic activities. In August, the HUP narrowly passed a law in the Gikai that allowed Yamataian motor vehicles to be sold as domestic vehicles without an import tax, undoing what the TLP had considered its greatest triumph. In response to fears that Kawaba would seek to prevent or undermine the upcoming 2025 Referendum, Kawaba made a promise that the referendum would go ahead as planned, but stated that he was confident the Hinoan people would "make the right choice".

Kawaba is a controversial figure in Hinoan politics, and he and his party leadership are often criticized for their close ties to the Yamataian government as well as various private corporations. Kawaba is a strong supporter of the union between Hinomoto and Yamatai, and has championed closer economic and social ties between Hinomoto and Yamatai. This has led to Kawaba and the HUP being characterised by opponents as puppets of the Yamataian government. Kawaba himself has been accused of lying, elitism, cronyism, and bigotry, and he has also been described by opposition leader Okane Hisoka as "the biggest threat to Hinoan independence". Supporters have praised him as humorous, witty, and entertaining, with a wide appeal to apathetic voters and working-class voters that had historically preferred the TLP.