Date of birth: Oct. 23, 1945

Party: Democratic Party of Japan

Electoral district: Upper House; proportional representation (third term)

While Naoshima, who put together the DPJ's campaign pledges as policy chief last year, has not been in the center of the political arena, he has been working as a key minister to craft the government's new economic growth strategy due to come out this month.

His ministry also recently disclosed a vision for Japanese industries to catch up with global market changes.

Having been a Toyota Motor Corp. employee and vice chairman of the Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers' Unions, Naoshima closely communicated with Toyota officials when the carmaker came under fire over its global recalls.

The Osaka Prefecture native joined the DPJ in 1998 after several years in the Democratic Socialist Party.