Originally planning to study economics in Japan, he dropped out to attend Georgetown University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in 1983.

Suga supported Kono to replace him as party president in the 2021 LDP leadership election, losing to Fumio Kishida in a second round run-off.

In this role he attempted to revive the My Number card system, and rolled out reforms for thousands of regulations in an effort to cut down on bureaucratic red tape.

Belonging to the conservative and centre-right Shikōkai faction, he is considered a centrist within the LDP, supporting same-sex marriage and more acceptance of immigrants into Japan.

Kono also favors a strong national defense, strengthening alliances with the US and Canada, as well as pacific partners like Australia and South Korea, and is a proponent of the concept of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

Taro Kono was born on 10 January 1963, in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, the oldest of the three children of Yōhei Kōno, a former President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Kono has been a member of five standing committees of the House of Representatives: Economy; Environment; Health, Labour, & Welfare; Trade & Industry; and Finance.

In addition, he has been a member of two special committees: Consumer Affairs, and Children & Youth Affairs.From January to October 2002, Kono was Parliamentary Secretary for Public Management, responsible for administrative reforms, local governments, and "e-government."

He resigned from this position two months later in protest over the Iraq War, accusing Foreign Minister Kawaguchi of not adequately explaining the government's policy.

Kono was the Acting Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Committee until November 2003 and was one of the few members of the LDP to oppose the dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.

He also sponsored a United Nations Reform Bill that would have required the government to reduce its voluntary contributions to the UN Systems by 10 percent each year until changes were made in the membership of the Security Council.

Kono resigned as head of the Kanagawa LDP following the 2007 local elections, in which the LDP-supported candidate Tadashi Sugino lost to incumbent Shigefumi Matsuzawa.

[6] Kono was chosen over Katsunobu Kato, after lengthy deliberation, for his superior English ability and his grasp of international issues, despite having a reputation as an outspoken and sometimes "eccentric" politician.

He publicly urged countries to cut diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea following the announcement of enhanced sanctions by the US government in September 2017.

[15] After the 2017 general election, which delivered a fresh majority for the LDP in the House of Representatives, Abe retained Kono as Foreign Minister in his fourth cabinet.

Late in the evening of 15 April 2018 in the flurry of exchanges after the tripartite missile strikes on Syria,[16] Kono received the first official visit from the Chinese counterpart since November 2009.

[25] His visit was part of the inaugural foreign and defense ministerial dialogue between India and Japan, which aimed to give further momentum to their special strategic partnership.

Addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington D.C., he stated “When I was foreign minister, I was very careful not to say that China is a threat although I repeatedly said ‘grave concern’ at news conferences.

[41] Commentator Michael Bosack described this post as a "downgrade" and "tantamount to a demotion," citing Kono's ambition to become prime minister as well as poor coordination of decisions with the party.

[45] One comment was the complete free use of highways for ambulances, at the request of Gunma Prefecture Governor Ichita Yamamoto, but there were also concerns that this would lead to an increase in the burden on each ministry and agency, an issue that Kono himself had raised.

Kishida subsequently appointed Kono to be the LDP's Public Relations chief on 1 October 2021 and resigned from the cabinet 3 days later, ending his tenure as Minister for Administrative Reform.

[73] In July 2023, Kishida announced that the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) would conduct investigation into the Digital Agency, prompting Kono to apologize to the Diet.

[4] Kono conveyed his desire to run for party leadership to LDP Vice President and his faction boss, Taro Aso, during dinner on 26 June 2024.

[101] The previous day his campaign released a comprehensive policy vision, which included labor market reform, use of renewable energy, the creation of a digital safety net and lowering the age of candidacy to 18 years old.

He stated that the start of the new Reiwa Japanese era name and the coming 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Japan provide timely opportunities for initiating a reversal.

He argued that under the current succession rules it would be difficult to allure any potential bride for the male heir, who would face enormous psychological pressure to become pregnant with a boy.

[118] The fixation on Asia-Centrism by Kono directly contrasts with the stance of most LDP politicians, who heavily stress Japan's relationship with the United States of America.

He supports the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, but seeks revision of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)[120] On the issue of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in the Okinawan city of Futenma, Kono's "off the record" views "conflict with the official Japanese position.

[citation needed] In 2002, when his father, Yōhei Kōno, fell ill from a chronic hepatitis C infection, Kono offered a part of his liver for donation.

[citation needed] Kono is a fan of Shonan Bellmare, a professional football club based in his home town of Hiratsuka, west of Kanagawa.