Zenko Suzuki
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Zenkō Suzuki (鈴木 善幸 Suzuki Zenkō; January 11,1911–July 19,2004) was a Japanese politician and the 70th Prime Minister of Japan from July 17, 1980 to November 27, 1982.
He was appointed Prime Minister following the sudden death of Masayoshi Ohira, who died of a heart attack during a general election campaign. The sympathy vote generated by Ohira's death resulted in a landslide for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), handing Suzuki the largest parliamentary majority any Prime Minister had enjoyed for many years. He chose not to run for reelection to the presidency of the LDP in 1982, and was succeeded by Yasuhiro Nakasone.
He served during a period of instability; Cabinet members frequently changed, and parties were often split by fractional politics. His diplomatic skills allowed him to chair his party's executive council ten times, winning him support in his early career. He helped further foreign relations with the United States, during a 1988 summit with Ronald Reagan.
He was born in Iwate Prefecture and died at the International Medical Center of Japan, in Tokyo of pneumonia.
| Preceded by: Masayoshi Ohira | Prime Minister of Japan 1980–1982 | Succeeded by: Yasuhiro Nakasone |