Fukuda, Takeo

▪ 1996

      Japanese statesman (b. Jan. 14, 1905, Gumma prefecture, Japan—d. July 5, 1995, Tokyo, Japan), was a pragmatic politician whose career during the 1970s was dominated by a battle with Kakuei Tanaka for the leadership of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP). After graduating (1929) from Tokyo University, Fukuda entered the Finance Ministry, where he remained until 1950, when he was indicted on charges of taking bribes from the Showa Denko K.K. Co. (He was cleared of the charge in 1958.) In 1952 he was elected a member of Japan's House of Representatives, and by the early 1960s he was a major figure within the LDP. After gaining the LDP leadership, Fukuda automatically became prime minister and served in that post from 1976 to 1978. During his tenure he issued (1977) the Fukuda Doctrine, which pledged that Japan would never again strive to become a military power and that the country would provide economic aid to Southeast Asian countries. In 1978 he helped formalize a treaty of peace and friendship with China. He was also at the centre of international trade disputes, especially with the U.S., that erupted because of Japan's annual trade surplus, which reached $12 billion while he was prime minister. Fukuda was forced to dissolve his Cabinet (1978) when some LDP members were implicated in the Lockheed bribery scandal. He then became a mentor to younger politicians.

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