16 December 1993(1993-12-16) (aged 75) Tokyo, Japan
Political party
Liberal Democratic Party (1955–1993)
Other political affiliations
Democratic Party (1947–1950) Democratic Liberal Party (1950–1955)
Spouse
Hana Sakamoto
Children
Masanori Tanaka (by Hana Sakamoto, died age 4) Makiko Tanaka (by Hana Sakamoto) Kyo Tanaka (by Tsuji Wako) Hitoshi Tanaka (by Tsuji Wako) Atsuko Sato (by Akiko Sato)
Signature
Military career
Allegiance
Japan
Service/branch
Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service
1939–1941
Rank
Superior Private
Battles/wars
Second Sino-Japanese War Second World War
Japanese name
Shinjitai
田中 角栄
Kyūjitai
田中 角榮
Kana
たなか かくえい
Transcriptions
Romanization
Tanaka Kakuei
Kakuei Tanaka (田中 角栄, Tanaka Kakuei, 4 May 1918 – 16 December 1993) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. He served in the House of Representatives from 1947 to 1990. As prime minister, Tanaka advocated large-scale infrastructure development and oversaw the normalization diplomatic relations with China. Afterwards he was arrested in connection to the Lockheed bribery scandals, but nevertheless exercised a dominant influence on Japanese politics until suffering a stroke in 1985.
Born in rural Niigata Prefecture, Tanaka grew up under poor circumstances and received little formal education. As a young man he worked in the construction industry, becoming the president of his own construction company at a young age. He made a fortune from military contracts during the Pacific War. After the war, Tanaka went into politics and became noted for his earthy and tenacious political style. Becoming a member of the Liberal Democratic Party when it was founded in 1955, Tanaka successively served as minister of posts and telecommunications, chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council, minister of finance, secretary general of the LDP and minister of international trade and industry.
After a power struggle with Takeo Fukuda, he became prime minister in 1972. Diplomatically, he pursued negotiations leading to the Japan–China Joint Communiqué. Domestically he pursued his "Plan to Remodel the Japanese Archipelago," an infrastructure development program, but his standing was hurt by the 1973 oil crisis. He resigned amidst allegations of corruption in 1974. Two year later Tanaka was implicated in the Lockheed bribery scandals, which led to his arrest and trial; he was found guilty by two lower courts, but his case remained open before the Supreme Court until his death. Throughout his legal problems, he maintained influence through his faction, the largest faction in the LDP, and was able to serve as kingmaker for subsequent prime ministers, which led to him being called "Shadow Shōgun" (闇将軍, Yami-shōgun). A debilitating stroke he suffered in 1985 led to the collapse of his political faction, with most members regrouping under the leadership of Noboru Takeshita in 1987.[1]
He was nicknamed Kaku-san (角さん, Mr. Kaku)[2] and was known as the "ima taiko" (今太閤, modern taiko) and "Shadow Shōgun" (闇将軍, Yami-shōgun).[3][4] His politico-economic direction is called the construction state (土建国家, Doken Kokka).[5] He was strongly identified with the construction industry but never served as construction minister.[4] His daughter Makiko Tanaka and son-in-law Naoki Tanaka were also prominent politicians.
^"Lockheed Scandal 40 years on: The downfall of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka". Retrieved 26 November 2018.
^"The World: Tanaka: Prisoner of 'Money Power'." Time. Monday 9 August 1976. Retrieved on 29 August 2010.
^"Dark Day for the Shadow Shogun". Time. 1.
^ abSterngold, James (17 December 1993). "Kakuei Tanaka, 75, Ex-Premier and Political Force in Japan, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
^McCormack, Gavan. "Koizumi's Kingdom of Illusion". The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. Under Tanaka and his successors, "the doken kokka spread a web of power and corruption throughout the country....
KakueiTanaka Cabinet may refer to: First Tanaka Cabinet, the Japanese majority government led by KakueiTanaka in 1972 Second Tanaka Cabinet, the Japanese...
Makiko Tanaka (田中 眞紀子, Tanaka Makiko, born on 14 January 1944) is a Japanese politician. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister KakueiTanaka and his...
succeed. On 14 January 1974, Japanese Prime Minister KakueiTanaka arrived in Jakarta for a visit. Tanaka's visit provided the ideal opportunity for those who...
1972 Japan–China Joint Communiqué. In his discussion with Japanese PM KakueiTanaka, Mao Zedong recounted, "I told Nixon, 'I voted for you when you ran...
1 million in 2023) in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister KakueiTanaka for aid in the matter. Lockheed paid ¥2.4 billion (equivalent to $55...
at the time in the Liberal Democratic Party, which he inherited from KakueiTanaka, from the 1980s until his death in 2000. He was dubbed the "last shadow...
entering politics. His political life was marked by his rivalry with KakueiTanaka, which was dubbed the "Kaku-Fuku War." As prime minister he formulated...
majority government led by KakueiTanaka in 1972 Second Tanaka Cabinet, the Japanese majority government led by KakueiTanaka from 1972 to 1974 This disambiguation...
The First Tanaka Cabinet is the 64th Cabinet of Japan headed by KakueiTanaka from July 7 to December 22, 1972. "第64代 田中 角榮|歴代内閣". Prime Minister's Official...
including Nikita Khrushchev, Che Guevara, Richard Nixon, Georges Pompidou, KakueiTanaka and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, among others. Mao's favorite places in Zhongnanhai...
powerful economic giant with a heavy trade surplus. Miki took over from KakueiTanaka as Prime Minister on 9 December 1974, following the latter's implication...
year-round cultural, social, and "educational" activities. For example, TanakaKakuei used his "iron constituency", or invincible constituency, in rural Niigata...
The Second Tanaka Cabinet is the 65th Cabinet of Japan headed by KakueiTanaka from December 22, 1972 to December 9, 1974. The first Cabinet reshuffle...
budget-conscious officials in the Ministry of Finance. Prime Minister KakueiTanaka was forced to resign in 1974 because of his alleged connection to financial...
footballer KakueiTanaka (田中 角栄, 1918–1993), Japanese politician and Prime Minister of Japan Kan Tanaka (田中 完), Japanese voice actor Kane Tanaka (田中カ子, 1903–2022)...
cloistered rule. Examples of "shadow shoguns" are former Prime Minister KakueiTanaka and the politician Ichirō Ozawa. Following the end of World War II,...
September 1972 Japan–China Joint Communiqué between Mao Zedong and KakueiTanaka. During the negotiation, Mao also stated that he preferred the "rightist"...
1974. In reaction to a state visit by the Japanese Prime Minister, KakueiTanaka, students held a demonstration protesting corruption, high prices, and...
his support from Takeo Fukuda to KakueiTanaka in the leadership election, ensuring Tanaka's victory. In turn, Tanaka would give his powerful support to...
Japanese prime minister KakueiTanaka and UK prime minister Edward Heath (lobbying in favor of engine maker Rolls-Royce). Tanaka also pressed Japanese regulators...