Date of birth: Jan. 24, 1958

Party: LDP

Electoral district: Upper House; Gunma (third term)

A close ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Yamamoto began his political career in 1995 after the death of his father, Tomio Yamamoto, a former secretary general of the LDP's Upper House caucus.

Having no close ties to utilities, he was chosen to lead an energy panel launched by the LDP after the Fukushima No. 1 crisis started. Yamamoto's background is more focused on diplomacy.

He served as parliamentary secretary for the Foreign Ministry under Keizo Obuchi and Yoshiro Mori's Cabinet and was also a senior vice foreign minister under Yasuo Fukuda. He also chaired the Upper House's Foreign and Defense Affairs Committee.

The Chuo University and Georgetown University graduate once worked for the Japan International Cooperation Agency.