Tanaka, Kakuei (1918–1993)

Japanese conservative politician, leader of the dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister 1972–74. In 1976 he was charged with corruption and resigned from the LDP but remained a powerful faction leader.

In the Diet (Japanese parliament) from 1947, Tanaka was minister of finance 1962–65 and of international trade and industry 1971–72, before becoming LDP leader. In 1974 he had to resign the premiership because of allegations of corruption and in 1976 he was arrested for accepting bribes from the Lockheed Corporation while premier. He was found guilty in 1983, but remained in the Diet as an independent deputy pending appeal.

The son of a small cattle trader in rural western Japan, Tanaka trained at night school as a quantity surveyor and made his fortune as a building contractor. In 1947 he was elected to Japan's house of representatives. He used his personal wealth and connections to operate a powerful faction within the LDP. Tanaka's meteoric political rise culminated in his becoming post-war Japan's youngest prime minister in 1972. As premier he was initially popular, having charisma and a raffish common touch. The Tanaka political dynasty survived Kakuei's death with his daughter, Makiko, representing his former parliamentary seat from 1993.