Zenkō Suzuki

In this Japanese name, the family name is Suzuki.
Zenko Suzuki
鈴木 善幸
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
17 July 1980  27 November 1982
Monarch Shōwa
Preceded by Masayoshi Itō (Acting)
Succeeded by Yasuhiro Nakasone
Personal details
Born (1911-01-11)11 January 1911
Yamada, Iwate, Japan
Died 19 July 2004(2004-07-19) (aged 93)
Tokyo, Japan
Political party Liberal Democratic Party (1955–2004)
Other political
affiliations
Liberal Party (1948–1950)
Democratic Liberal Party (1950–1955)
Children Shun'ichi Suzuki
Chikako Suzuki
Alma mater Tokyo University of Fisheries
Signature

Zenkō Suzuki (鈴木 善幸 Suzuki Zenkō, 11 January 1911 19 July 2004) was a Japanese politician and the 70th Prime Minister of Japan who was in office from 17 July 1980 to 27 November 1982.

Early life and education

Suzuki was born in Yamada, Iwate, on 11 January 1911. He graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1935.[1]

Career

Suzuki joined the Liberal Party in 1948, and helped merged it with another right of center party to establish the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1955. He was Minister of Health from 1965 to 1966, and Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries from 1976 to 1977.

Suzuki was appointed Prime Minister following the sudden death of Masayoshi Ōhira, who died of a heart attack during a general election campaign. The sympathy vote generated by Ohira's death resulted in a landslide for the ruling LDP, handing Suzuki the largest parliamentary majority any Prime Minister had enjoyed for many years. He chose not to run for reelection to the presidency of the LDP in 1982, and was succeeded by Yasuhiro Nakasone.

He served during a period of instability; cabinet members frequently changed, and parties were often split by fractional politics. His diplomatic skills allowed him to chair his party's executive council ten times, winning him support in his early career. Despite his foreign policy gaffes as prime minister, he later helped further foreign relations with the United States, during a 1988 summit with Ronald Reagan.

Death

Suzuki died at the International Medical Center of Japan in Tokyo of pneumonia on 19 July 2004. His son Shun'ichi Suzuki currently serves in the Diet.

Honours

From the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

References

  1. "Zenko Suzuki". The Independent. 21 July 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Masayoshi Ōhira
President of the Liberal Democratic Party
1980-1982
Succeeded by
Yasuhiro Nakasone
Political offices
Preceded by
Haruhiko Uetake
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications
1960
Succeeded by
Yoshiteru Kogane
Preceded by
Yasumi Kurogane
Chief Cabinet Secretary
1964
Succeeded by
Tomisaburo Hashimoto
Preceded by
Hiroshi Kanda
Minister of Health and Welfare
1965-1966
Succeeded by
Hideo Bō
Preceded by
Buichi Ōishi
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
1976-1977
Succeeded by
Ichiro Nakagawa
Preceded by
Masayoshi Itō
Acting
Prime Minister of Japan
1980–1982
Succeeded by
Yasuhiro Nakasone
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