Keizō Obuchi

Keizō Obuchi (小渕 恵三, Obuchi Keizō) was a Japanese politician born on June 25, 1937, in Nakanojō, Gunma Prefecture. He passed away on May 14, 2000. Obuchi served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1998 until his death in 2000.

Obuchi's early life involved education at Waseda University, where he enrolled in 1958 as an English literature major with the initial intent of becoming a writer. His father, Mitsuhei Obuchi, was a member of the National Diet representing Gunma's district. Following his father’s death in 1958, Obuchi decided to pursue a career in politics. He graduated from Waseda University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1962 and then continued graduate studies in political science.

Between January and September 1963, Obuchi traveled to thirty-eight countries, circumnavigating the globe while engaging in various odd jobs such as dishwashing, assisting as an aikido instructor, and working as a TV camera crew assistant in Berlin. During his time in the United States, he met Robert F. Kennedy, then Attorney-General, which influenced his political ambitions. In November 1963, at age 26, Obuchi was elected to the House of Representatives representing Gunma’s 3rd district, making him the youngest legislator in Japanese history at that time.

His political career included multiple governmental roles. From 1979 to 1987, he served as the director of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Okinawa Development Agency, then as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1987 to 1989. Notably, in 1989, he announced the death of Emperor Hirohito and proclaimed the new era name "Heisei" for Emperor Akihito.

Obuchi was active within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), serving as Secretary-General in 1991 and later as its Vice President in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, during which he engaged in negotiations with Russia concerning the Kuril Islands dispute and also discussions related to Korean unification.

In 1998, following Hashimoto's resignation as LDP president and the party's loss of majority in the House of Councillors, Obuchi was elected as the party's new leader and subsequently appointed Prime Minister. His tenure focused on two primary issues: concluding a peace treaty with Russia to formally end World War II hostilities and revitalizing Japan's economy, which was experiencing stagnation. His economic policy involved increasing public spending and reducing income taxes, alongside measures such as distributing shopping coupons to 35 million citizens to stimulate consumption. His foreign policy efforts regarding Russia did not reach fruition before his health declined.

On April 1, 2000, Obuchi suffered a massive stroke and fell into a coma. He remained in this state until his death on May 14, 2000, at the age of 62. His death prompted a state funeral held at the Nippon Budokan on June 8, attended by representatives from 156 countries and 22 organizations, including heads of state and government officials such as Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, and Kim Dae-jung.

In his personal life, Obuchi married environmental essayist Chizuko Ono in 1967. The couple had three children, including their younger daughter, Yūko Obuchi, who was elected to the Diet in 2000. Obuchi was interested in the works of the novelist Ryōtarō Shiba and admired Sakamoto Ryōma, a prominent figure in the Meiji Restoration. He also collected ox figurines, a hobby linked to his birth year in the Chinese zodiac, and enjoyed activities such as aikido and golf.

Obuchi received several honors, including the Medal of Honour with Yellow Ribbon for Best Father in 1999, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (posthumously), and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru in 1999.