Miki Takeo
| Takeo Miki | |
|---|---|
| 三木 武夫 | |
Miki in 1951
|
|
| Prime Minister of Japan | |
|
In office 9 December 1974 – 24 December 1976 |
|
| Monarch | Shōwa |
| Preceded by | Kakuei Tanaka |
| Succeeded by | Takeo Fukuda |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
17 March 1907 Awa, Tokushima, Japan |
| Died | 14 November 1988 (aged 81) Tokyo, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Mutsuko Miki (1940–1988; his death) |
| Alma mater |
Meiji University University of Southern California |
| Signature |  |
Takeo Miki (三木 武夫 Miki Takeo?, 17 March 1907 – 14 November 1988) was a Japanese politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of Japan from 1974 until 1976.
Born in Awa, Tokushima, Miki graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo. He attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from the institution in 1966.
Miki was elected to the Diet in 1937 and remained there until his death in 1988, during which he was elected a representative for 19 times over 51 years. In the 1942 general election he ran in opposition to the military government under Hideki Tojo and still managed to win a seat; his efforts at this time were assisted by Kan Abe, the grandfather of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.
Miki took over from Kakuei Tanaka as Prime Minister on 9 December 1974, following the latter's implication in the corruptions concerning real-estate and construction companies. Miki's attraction was particularly due his reputed political cleanness, and his weak power base from his small faction. In fact, he was not prepared to be prime minister at all, as was reflected when upon his election he murmured "a bolt from the blue".
After being elected, Miki attempted to reform the LDP, relentlessly investigating the Lockheed bribery scandals, which made him a large number of enemies within the party. A campaign literally called "Down with Miki" ("Miki oroshi") was started by influential faction leaders. Despite Miki's personal popularity with the public, the Lockheed scandal reflected poorly on the party, which lost its overall majority in the 1976 election to the Diet and had to make deals with minor parties to remain in power. Embarrassed by the result, Miki resigned and was succeeded on 24 December 1976, by Takeo Fukuda.
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