Zenkō Suzuki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zenko Suzuki
鈴木 善幸
Prime Minister of Japan
In office 17 July 1980 – 27 November 1982
Monarch	Shōwa
Preceded by	Masayoshi Itō
Succeeded by	Yasuhiro Nakasone
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
In office 24 December 1976 – 28 November 1977
Prime Minister	Takeo Fukuda
Preceded by	Buichi Oishi
Succeeded by	Ichiro Nakagawa
Minister of Health and Welfare
In office 3 June 1965 – 3 December 1966
Prime Minister	Eisaku Satō
Preceded by	Hiroshi Kanda
Succeeded by	Hideo Bo
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office 18 July 1964 – 9 September 1964
Prime Minister	Hayato Ikeda
Preceded by	Yasumi Kurogane
Succeeded by	Tomisaburo Hashimoto
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications
In office 19 July 1960 – 8 December 1960
Prime Minister	Hayato Ikeda
Preceded by	Haruhiko Uetake
Succeeded by	Yoshiteru Kogane
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 25 April 1947 – 17 July 1980
Personal details
Born	(1911-01-11)11 January 1911 Yamada, Iwate, Empire of Japan
Died	19 July 2004(2004-07-19) (aged 93) Tokyo, Japan
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party (1955–2004)
Other political affiliations	Liberal Party (1948–1950) Democratic Liberal Party (1950–1955)
Children	Shun'ichi Suzuki Chikako Suzuki
Alma mater	Tokyo University of Fisheries
Signature

Zenkō Suzuki (鈴木 善幸, born January 11, 1911 – died July 19, 2004) was an important Japanese politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1980 to 1982. He was the last prime minister who was born during the Meiji era in Japan.

Early Life and Education

Zenkō Suzuki was born on January 11, 1911, in a town called Yamada, in Iwate Prefecture. His father owned a fishery, which is a business that catches and sells fish.

Suzuki studied at the Tokyo University of Fisheries. He finished his studies there in 1935.

Political Journey and Leadership

Zenkō Suzuki with Dries van Agt in 1981

Suzuki started his political career by joining the Liberal Party in 1948. Later, in 1955, he helped bring this party together with another similar party. This led to the creation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which became a very powerful political group in Japan.

Over the years, Suzuki held several important government jobs. He was the Minister of Health from 1965 to 1966. He also served as the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1976 to 1977.

Becoming Prime Minister

Zenkō Suzuki became Prime Minister after the sudden death of the previous leader, Masayoshi Ōhira. Mr. Ōhira passed away from a heart attack during an election campaign. Many people felt sad about his death, and this led to a lot of support for the LDP in the election.

Because of this support, the LDP won a huge number of seats in the parliament. This gave Suzuki the largest majority any Prime Minister had seen in many years.

Challenges and Diplomacy

Suzuki's time as Prime Minister was a bit challenging. There were often changes in his cabinet, which is the group of top government officials. Also, different groups within his party sometimes disagreed.

Even with these challenges, Suzuki was known for his good diplomatic skills. He was able to lead his party's main council ten times. This helped him gain a lot of support early in his career.

After his time as Prime Minister, he continued to help Japan's relationships with other countries. For example, he played a part in improving ties with the United States during a meeting with President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Family and Later Life

Zenkō Suzuki had a family deeply involved in politics. His son, Shun'ichi Suzuki, also serves in the Japanese parliament. His daughter is married to Taro Aso, who later became Prime Minister himself.

Zenkō Suzuki passed away on July 19, 2004, in Tokyo, Japan. He was 93 years old and died from pneumonia. His wife passed away several years later in 2015.

Honors and Awards

• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (July 2004; given after his death)

See also

In Spanish: Zenkō Suzuki para niños