Mikio Aoki

Mikio Aoki (Japanese: 青木 幹雄, Hepburn: Aoki Mikio; 8 June 1934 – 11 June 2023) was a Japanese politician who served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1999 to 2000, and was briefly acting prime minister following Keizō Obuchi's coma. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as the Chairman of the LDP in the House of Councillors.

Mikio Aoki
青木 幹雄
Official portrait, 2000
Acting Prime Minister of Japan
In office
3 April 2000 – 5 April 2000
MonarchAkihito
Preceded byKeizō Obuchi
Succeeded byYoshirō Mori
In office
5 October 1999 – 4 July 2000
Prime Minister
  • Keizō Obuchi
  • Yoshirō Mori
Preceded byHiromu Nonaka
Succeeded byHidenao Nakagawa
Member of the House of Councillors
In office
8 July 1986 – 25 July 2010
Preceded byHisaoki Kamei
Succeeded byKazuhiko Aoki
ConstituencyShimane
Personal details
Born(1934-06-08)8 June 1934
Taisha, Shimane, Japan
Died11 June 2023(2023-06-11) (aged 89)
Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
Alma materWaseda University (incomplete)

Early life and career

Mikio Aoki was born on 8 June 1934, in Taisha in Shimane Prefecture, to a family of prosperous fishermen. After graduating from Shimane Prefectural Taisha High School, Aoki enrolled at Waseda University.[1] He joined the Oratorical Society and became its secretary. He befriended Yoshiro Mori who was also in the Oratorical Society.[2][3]

In the 1958 Japanese general election, Aoki volunteered for Noboru Takeshita, a Waseda alumni who was running to represent Shimane for the Liberal Democratic Party. When Takeshita was elected, Aoki dropped out of university to serve as his secretary.[2]

Aoki was elected to the Shimane Prefectural Assembly in 1961. He was vice chairman from 1983 to 1984. Upon Takeshita's request, Aoki ran in the 1986 House of Councillors election and was successfully elected.[2][4]

Diet member

Aoki joined the Keiseikai formed by Takeshita in 1987. Aoki was parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Finance from 1991 to 1992 and chairman of the House of Councillors Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 1994 to 1995.[2]

Following the 1998 House of Councillors election, Obuchi, who was then head of the Keiseikai, became Prime Minister and Aoki became Secretary-General for the LDP in the House of Councillors. The reshuffle in December of the following year made Aoki Chief Cabinet Secretary and Director-General of the Okinawa Development Agency.[2]

Acting prime minister

Obuchi suffered a stroke in April 2000 and fell into a coma.[5] Aoki took over as acting prime minister. Once it became clear Obuchi would not recover, Aoki met with the principal officers of the LDP at the time: Yoshiro Mori, Hiromu Nonaka, Shizuka Kamei and Masakuni Murakami.[6] The five men wanted to ensure a swift succession and agreed to designate Mori as the next LDP President. This decision was endorsed by the party convention and Mori became prime minister on 5 April 2000.[6][7]

Mori initially retained the entire Obuchi cabinet, including Aoki, but after the reshuffle in December, he returned to his post as Secretary-General for the LDP in the House of Councillors. Takeshita died in June 2000.[8]

Don of the House of Councillors

The old Keiseikai, which had been renamed the Heisei Kenkyukai, was then led by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. Aoki and Hiromu Nonaka were prominent leaders in the faction at this time.[9] When Junichiro Koizumi succeeded Mori as Prime Minister, Nonaka took a confrontational stance while Aoki was cooperative. In the 2003 LDP leadership election, Hiromu Nonaka endorsed Takao Fujii while Aoki supported the re-election of Koizumi.[10] The votes of the faction were split and Koizumi was reelected.[10]

After the 2004 House of Councillors election, Aoki was promoted from Secretary-General to Chairman for the LDP in the House of Councillors. It was said that Koizumi trusted him with all matters regarding the House of Councillors, including nominating cabinet ministers from the house. Aoki began to be called the "Don of the House of Councillors."[9] Aoki resigned as chairman to take responsibility for the unsuccessful 2007 House of Councillors election.[11]

Aoki intended to run for another term in the 2010 House of Councillors election. However, he suffered a mild stroke and was swiftly replaced as a candidate by his son Kazuhiko.[11][12]

Retirement

Even in retirement, he remained influential, especially over the House and Councillors and the Heisei Kenkyukai. In the 2018 LDP leadership election he endorsed Shigeru Ishiba against the incumbent Shinzo Abe, and requested his old faction to do the same. However, Toshimitsu Motegi and Katsunobu Kato rallied faction members in support of Abe, who was successful.[13]

After Fumio Kishida became Prime Minister, Aoki dined with him several times along with former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. They were reportedly consulted on personnel matters.[14]

Aoki died on 11 June 2023, just three days after his 89th birthday.[15]

References
  1. "Notable Alumni from Waseda University". School Lynk. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. "青木 幹雄". Kantei. Cabinet Public Affairs Office, Cabinet Secretariat. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  3. Kobayashi, Kichiya (28 August 2015). "達人政治家の処世の極意 第十四回「青木幹雄」" (in Japanese). Shukan Jitsuwa. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. "Ex-LDP upper house heavyweight Mikio Aoki dies at 89". Kyodo News. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. Sims, Calvin (15 May 2000). "Keizo Obuchi, Premier Who Brought Stability as Japan's Economy Faltered, Dies at 62". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  6. Pekkanen, Robert (2 October 2018). Critical Readings on the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan: Volume 2. Brill Publishers. p. 756. ISBN 978-9004380530.
  7. French, Howard W. (4 April 2000). "With Japan's Premier in a Coma, Succession Moves Get Under Way". New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  8. Matthew Carlson, in Gaunder, Alisa (2011). Routledge Handbook of Japanese Politics. Taylor & Francis. pp. 75–77. ISBN 9781136818387.
  9. "Former LDP kingmaker Mikio Aoki dies at 89". Japan Times. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  10. "Koizumi's powerful economic lineup". Asia Times. 2 October 2003. Archived from the original on 2 October 2003. Retrieved 22 February 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. "自民・青木氏、参院選の立候補断念 体調不良で、政界引退か" (in Japanese). Nikkei. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  12. "青木氏、参院選出馬せず 後継候補に長男の名" (in Japanese). Nikkei. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  13. "参院竹下派、石破茂元幹事長を支持へ 吉田博美参院幹事長に対応一任" (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  14. "首相が森、青木氏と会食 政権運営巡り意見交換か" (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  15. "Mikio Aoki, Former Chief Cabinet Secretary, Dies at 89". Yomiuri Shimbun. Yomiuri Shimbun. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
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