Politician. At the height of his career, Tanaka served as secretary general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party. He died of heart failure at the age of 63. A reporter with the financial newspaper "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" for more than 10 years, Mr. Tanaka entered politics in the early 1960s, when he was elected to the House of Representatives (Diet) from Fukuoka in Honshu. He served eight terms for his constituency. Beginning in 1968, he held a number of Cabinet posts in successive Liberal Democratic Governments, serving as Cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira in 1978-79 and as Minister of International Trade and Industry under Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki in 1980-81. Although Mr. Tanaka belonged to the Susuki faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, he backed Yasuhiro Nakasone, a rival faction leader, in party meetings to select a Prime Minister in 1983. Mr. Nakasone made Mr. Tanaka the party's secretary general.
Politician. At the height of his career, Tanaka served as secretary general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party. He died of heart failure at the age of 63. A reporter with the financial newspaper "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" for more than 10 years, Mr. Tanaka entered politics in the early 1960s, when he was elected to the House of Representatives (Diet) from Fukuoka in Honshu. He served eight terms for his constituency. Beginning in 1968, he held a number of Cabinet posts in successive Liberal Democratic Governments, serving as Cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira in 1978-79 and as Minister of International Trade and Industry under Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki in 1980-81. Although Mr. Tanaka belonged to the Susuki faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, he backed Yasuhiro Nakasone, a rival faction leader, in party meetings to select a Prime Minister in 1983. Mr. Nakasone made Mr. Tanaka the party's secretary general.
Bio by: Warrick L. Barrett
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