is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan (national legislature).
Watanabe is a native of Numazu, Shizuoka and graduated from Waseda University. He worked at the national newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun from 1987 to 1999.
Watanabe was elected to the first of his two terms in the assembly of Shizuoka Prefecture in 1991 and then to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1996. He served as the representative for the Shizuoka 6th constituency from 1996 to 2021, and again from 2024, and as the TÃ Âkai proportional representation member from 2021 to 2024.
He is an assenter of "The Truth About Nanjing (movie)." He was previously a member of the Kibà  no Tà  political party, being the party's candidate for Prime Minister, and the Democratic Party of Japan, along with the Democratic Party for the People.
Watanabe is part of the CDP's shadow cabinet 'Next Cabinet' as the shadow Security Minister (replacement to the Minister of Defense).