was a
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the 78th
Prime MinisterThe is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.
Early life and career
Miyazawa was born in
Fukuyamais a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima City, it is the largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture...
,
Hiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance. In 1953 he was elected to the upper house of the
Diet of JapanThe is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
, where he stayed until moving to the lower house in 1967.
Miyazawa held a number of prominent public positions, including Minister of International Trade and Industry (1970–71), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1974–76), Director General of the Economic Planning Agency (1977–78), and Chief Cabinet Secretary (1984–86). He became Minister of Finance under the government of
Noboru Takeshitawas a Japanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from November 6, 1987 to June 3, 1989.Takeshita was also the last Prime Minister during the long rule of the Emperor Shōwa.-Early years:...
in 1987, but had to resign amid the
Recruit scandalThe was an insider trading and corruption scandal that forced many prominent Japanese politicians to resign in 1988.Recruit is a human resources and classifieds company based in Tokyo. Its chairman, Hiromasa Ezoe, offered a number of shares in a Recruit subsidiary, Cosmos, to business leaders and...
.
Prime minister
Miyazawa became Prime Minister on November 5, 1991, and gained brief fame in the United States when
President George H. W. Bush vomited in his lapThe George H.W. Bush vomiting incident occurred on January 8, 1992 around 8:20 p.m. JST when U.S. President George H.W. Bush fainted after vomiting at a banquet hosted by the then Prime Minister of Japan, Kiichi Miyazawa.-History:...
and fainted during a state dinner on January 8, 1992.
His government passed a law allowing Japan to send its forces overseas for
peacekeepingPeacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
missions as well as negotiating a trade agreement with the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also introduced financial reforms to address the growing economic
malaiseMalaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, of being "out of sorts", often the first indication of an infection or other disease. Malaise is often defined in medicinal research as a "general feeling of being unwell"...
in Japan in the 1990s.
Miyazawa resigned in 1993 after losing a vote of no confidence marking an end to 38 years of
Liberal Democratic PartyThe , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
government.
A leading figure in the
Trilateral CommissionThe Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
from its beginning, he became acting Japanese chairman in late 1993. He passed the baton to
Yotaro KobayashiYotaro Kobayashi, born April 1933 in England, is chairman of the Fuji Xerox company of Tokyo, Japan. He is also Pacific Asia chairman of the Trilateral Commission....
in January 1997.
Subsequent career
Miyazawa later returned to
frontbenchIn many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
politics when he was once again appointed finance minister from 1998 to 2001 in the governments of
Keizō Obuchiwas a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
and
Yoshirō Moriis a Japanese politician who served as the 85th and 86th Prime Minister of Japan starting at 5 April 2000 ending 26 April 2001. Described as having "the heart of a flea and the brain of a shark," he was an unpopular prime minister mainly remembered today for his many gaffes and situationally...
. His political career ended after he retired from the
Diet of JapanThe is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
in 2003.