A native of Katori District, Chiba, Hayashi graduated the Nihon University's College of Arts in 1970.

An expert on issues related to Narita International Airport, he was appointed Senior Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Koizumi Cabinet) in 2003.

[1] On August 1, 2008 Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda appointed him to the cabinet position of National Public Chairman, State Minister in Charge of Okinawa and Affairs Related to the Northern Territories.

[1] Hayashi is currently serving in the Lower House representing Chiba's Tenth District and is a member of Shinzo Abe's cabinet with many responsibilities: Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Minister in charge of Industrial Competitiveness, Minister in charge of the Response to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Accident, Minister of State for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation.

[2] Hayashi is affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi,[3] and a member of the following right-wing Diet groups: Hayashi gave the following answers to the questionnaires submitted by Mainichi to parliamentarians: