Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, left, at a January 1991 meeting with ruling Liberal Democratic Party executives, including Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Toshiki Kaifu, who became prime minister after money and other political scandals rocked the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has died at age 91.

Kaifu became prime minister in August 1989 after the LDP suffered a crushing defeat in the Upper House election due to a sex scandal involving his predecessor, Sosuke Uno, as well as lingering public disgust with the Recruit stock scandal that touched many top political leaders, including Noboru Takeshita, another former prime minister.

But Takeshita continued to wield huge influence as head of the largest LDP faction and his support paved the way for Kaifu, who belonged to one of the smallest LDP factions, to become prime minister.

Ironically, it was the Takeshita faction that also exerted pressure on Kaifu not to seek re-election as LDP president and ended his stint as the nation’s leader in November 1991.

Kaifu tried to push through political reform legislation to deal with public outrage over a string of scandals involving the LDP, but faced strong resistance from the party, coupled with fierce opposition to the introduction of a single-seat electoral system for the Lower House. When he hinted that he was prepared to dissolve the chamber and call a snap election, LDP heavyweights moved behind the scenes to push him out of office.

As prime minister, Kaifu resisted pressure from the United States to dispatch Self-Defense Forces members to join the multinational alliance against Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, but instead pledged substantial monetary assistance to the alliance.

Kaifu also negotiated with then U.S. President George H.W. Bush over bilateral trade issues as well as Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev over the thorny Northern Territories issue that has bedeviled bilateral relations since the islands were seized by Soviet forces in the waning days of World War II.

Kaifu was the first prime minister born in the Showa Era (1926-1989), and his relative youth and lack of scandal attached to him led to Cabinet support ratings that remained high throughout his tenure.

He bolted from the LDP in 1994 and was pushed to become prime minister by the then ruling coalition, but he lost out to Tomiichi Murayama, the head of the Japan Socialist Party backed by the LDP and New Party Sakigake.

Kaifu would eventually return to the LDP in 2003. He retired from politics after going down to defeat in the 2009 Lower House election. He served in that chamber for 48 years.

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Toshiki Kaifu was named as a deputy chief Cabinet secretary by Prime Minister Takeo Miki in March 1975. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

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