is a former Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic party, serving as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan.
Kobayashi was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1964 and graduated from Waseda University in 1988.
Kobayashi was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2001 representing Kanagawa at-large. He won his re-election in July 2007 but resigned on 4 September after members of his campaign were arrested for violating election rules regarding paying volunteers.
Kobayashi resigned from politics as the result of a scandal where his campaign was found to have violated election financing rules.