Word: ohira
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Ohira was also helped by the backing of the wealthy and politically crafty Tanaka, who is a longtime foe of Fukuda. Tanaka, who still heads one of the strongest L.D.P. factions despite the corruption charges, helped devise Ohira's winning strategy, which was to lie low until two weeks before the vote, then launch a costly, eleventh-hour campaign blitz. Lulled by the polls, which consistently showed him with a comfortable lead, Fukuda never had time to counterattack...
...Ohira is a stocky, heavy-lidded farmer's son who sifts his thoughts, acts cautiously and speaks slowly. But behind Ohira's placid manner lurks a strong mind and steel will. He is more intellectual than most Japanese politicians. At least once a week he visits a bookstore to browse and buy; he reads Japanese authors and foreign writers in translation (a recent acquisition: John Kenneth Galbraith's The Age of Uncertainty...
...Ohira spent the World War II years in the Finance Ministry. Early in the 1950s he went into politics, eventually winning ten terms in the Diet. In 1960 he started his climb to power by moving from one ministry or Cabinet post to another in different L.D.P. governments. He has been Finance Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry; he has also been Foreign Minister twice in different regimes. As Tanaka's Foreign Minister in 1972, he initiated the restoration of relations with Peking...
...colleague describes Ohira's party role as "the lubricating oil that smoothed things out." His ability to mediate was to become his main political asset. "Confrontation is a waste of energy," he has said. "A little give and take is much more efficient in politics...
Three times since 1972, Ohira has had a chance to drive for the party leadership, but on each occasion the reluctant bull backed away. The last time, in 1975, he and Fukuda, his opponent, reportedly made an oral agreement that Ohira would withdraw and support Fukuda and that Fukuda in turn would step aside as Premier and party leader at the end of his term, in Ohira's favor. Fukuda apparently reneged on the deal, and that may be what finally moved Ohira to put up a real fight for the leadership...