(at the
Prime Minister's Official Residence on January 11, 1996) Kubo started his career as a high-school teacher. Then he was involved in politics, and in 1963, he was elected to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly where he served for three terms. Until 1993 he served as chairman and a member of different committees at the house, including the budget and finance committee in the upper house. He was also chief finance policy strategist and deputy chairman of the party. He served as deputy prime minister and finance minister from 11 January to 7 November 1996 in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto that was a coalition of
the Liberal Democratic Party, the SDP and
New Party Sakigake. Kubo's term ended when Hashimoto inaugurated his second cabinet and the coalition parties SPD and New Party Sakigake remained outside the government. Kubo left the SPD on 6 January 1997 due to the disagreements with the SPD chief
Takako Doi. After his resignation, Kubo joined
the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). He retired from politics as a member of the DPJ in June 2001 after serving four terms at the upper house, being a representative of Kagoshima Prefecture. ==Personal life==