Kenji Fukunaga

Kenji Fukunaga (福永 健司, Fukunaga Kenji, 5 August 1910 – 31 May 1988) was a Japanese politician who was Chief Cabinet Secretary on four separate occasions, and, as well as serving in various other cabinet positions, was also appointed as Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan.[2] He was also seen as an influential voice within the Liberal Democratic Party.[3]

Kenji Fukunaga
福永 健司
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan
In office 26 December 1983 – 24 January 1985
Preceded by	Hajime Fukuda
Succeeded by	Michita Sakata[1]
Minister of Transport
In office 28 November 1977 – 7 December 1978
Prime Minister	Takeo Fukuda
Preceded by	Hajime Tamura
Succeeded by	Kinji Moriyama
Minister of Health and Welfare
In office 11 November 1974 – 9 December 1974
Prime Minister	Kakuei Tanaka
Preceded by	Kunikichi Saito
Succeeded by	Masami Tanaka
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office 3 December 1966 – 22 June 1967
Prime Minister	Eisaku Satō
Preceded by	Kiichi Aichi
Succeeded by	Toshio Kimura
Minister of Labour
In office 18 July 1961 – 18 July 1962
Prime Minister	Hayato Ikeda
Preceded by	Hirohide Ishida
Succeeded by	Takeo Ōhashi
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office 24 March 1953 – 10 December 1954
Prime Minister	Shigeru Yoshida
Preceded by	Taketora Ogata
Succeeded by	Ryūtaro Nemoto
Personal details
Born	(1910-08-05)August 5, 1910 Koka, Shiga, Japan
Died	May 31, 1988(1988-05-31) (aged 77)
Alma mater	Tokyo Imperial University

Early life

Fukunaga was born on 5 August 1910, in Koka, Shiga.[3] He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1933.[3]

Career

After initially working in textiles, and rising to a management position, Fukunaga entered the world of politics and became deputy governor of Saitama Prefecture in 1947.[3] In 1949, Fukunaga stood for election and became the representative from Saitama 5th (a seat he retained 15 times).[2][3]

In his early years in politics, Fukunaga received extensive political tutoring from Shigeru Yoshida, and became a protégé of his, serving in his cabinet twice as Chief Cabinet Secretary.[2][3] He then reprised that role in the cabinet of Eisaku Satō, serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary twice more, while he briefly served as Minister of Labour in the interim period under Hayato Ikeda.[2] It was under Satō that Fukunaga came into his own, serving as Chair of the LDP General Council in the late 1960s, and playing a key role as a special ambassador in the Japanese government's response to the Lod Airport massacre.[3][4][5][6]

In the 1970s, Fukunaga also served in the Tanaka and Fukuda cabinets, and a few years before his death was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, a post he retained until 1985.[2][3] He remained a key figure within the party until his death.[3] Fukunaga passed away on 31 May 1988.[2]

Honours

• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Pauwlonia Flowers (1986)[3]

References

1. "Speakers and Vice-Speakers of the House of Representatives". The House of Representatives, Japan. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
2. "福永健司". Kotobank. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
3. "福永 健司". Kotobank. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
4. "自由民主党歴代執行部". 戦後政治史ふぁん倶楽部. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
5. "Nixon deplores massacre; Japan apologizes to Israel". Long Beach Independent. 5 June 1972. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
6. "Israel Massacre". AP. 5 June 1972. Retrieved 8 February 2018.

External links

• Historic Japanese cabinets (in Japanese), kantei.go.jp; accessed 30 January 2018.
• Historic LDP Presidents, Secretaries General, Chairs of General Affairs Committee and of Policy Research Committee (in Japanese), geocities.co.jp/WallStreet-Stock/7643/; accessed 31 March 2018

House of Representatives of Japan
Preceded by Hajime Fukuda	Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan 1983–1985	Succeeded by Michita Sakata
Political offices
Preceded by Taketora Ogata	Chief Cabinet Secretary 1953–1954	Succeeded by Ryūtaro Nemoto
Preceded by Hirohide Ishida	Minister of Labour 1961–1962	Succeeded by Takeo Ōhashi
Preceded by Kiichi Aichi	Chief Cabinet Secretary 1966–1967	Succeeded by Toshio Kimura
Preceded by Kunikichi Saito	Minister of Health and Welfare 1974	Succeeded by Masami Tanaka
Preceded by Hajime Tamura	Minister of Transport 1977–1978	Succeeded by Kinji Moriyama
Party political offices
Preceded by Shigesaburo Maeo	Chair, General Council of the Liberal Democratic Party 1966	Succeeded by Etsusaburo Shiina