Michio Watanabe
| Michio Watanabe | |
|---|---|
Watanabe in 1993
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| Native name | 渡辺 美智雄 |
| Born |
July 28, 1923 , Japan |
| Died | September 15, 1995 (aged 72) Tokyo, Japan |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Alma mater | Tokyo College of Commerce |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sumiko Watanabe |
| Children |
Yoshimi Watanabe Michiaki Watanabe |
Michio Watanabe (渡辺 美智雄 Watanabe Michio?, July 28, 1923 – September 15, 1995) was a Japanese political figure. He was born in and graduated from the Tokyo College of Commerce (now Hitotsubashi University) in 1942. He worked as a reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, a certified tax accountant, and a member of prefectural assembly before serving as a member of House of Representatives of Japan.
He was a member of Seiran-kai, a conservative faction within the LDP, from 1973 to 1976. He later served as Health Minister from 1976 to 1977, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry from 1978 to 1979, and Minister of Finance from 1980 to 1982. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1993, and made unsuccessful bids for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1991 and 1993. He gained some international notoriety for stating in 1988 that African Americans had "no qualms about not paying their bills," and for stating in 1995 that the Japanese annexation of Korea was done with Korea's consent.
Although he was ideologically opposed to communist China and favored Taiwan, he made efforts as Deputy Prime Minister to facilitate diplomacy between China and Japan in the wake of the Tiananmen Square incident, developing a relationship with the Chinese ambassador to Japan. He visited China for a meeting with its foreign minister in 1992, and the dialogue during this visit paved the way for Emperor Akihito to visit China later that year.
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