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Yasuo Fukuda (福田康夫 Fukuda Yasuo, born July 16, 1936) is a Japanese politician. He was the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for 1,289 days under Prime Ministers Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi. He was currently one of the leading contenders, along with current Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, to replace Koizumi in September 2006. Fukuda dropped out of the race on July 21, 2006.

He was born in Takasaki, Gunma, the eldest son of politician (later Prime Minister) Takeo Fukuda. He attended Azabu High School and graduated from Waseda University in 1959. After university, he joined Maruzen Petroleum and worked his way up to section chief. While Takeo Fukuda was prime minister, from 1976 to 1978, Yasuo became a political secretary. From 1978 to 1989, he was a director of the Kinzai Institute for Financial Affairs.

Fukuda ran for the House of Representatives in 1990 and won a seat. He was elected deputy director of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1997 and became Chief Cabinet Secretary to Yoshiro Mori in October of 2000.

He resigned his position as Chief Cabinet Secretary on May 7, 2004 amid a large political scandal related to the Japanese pension system. He remains a representative in the Lower House.

He was considered a contender for the leadership of the LDP, which will be decided in the September 2006 party election. In a June poll of 403 LDP lawmakers, Shinzo Abe had the backing of 130, followed by Fukuda with 30.^[1] However, he has not stated any intention to run. Both Fukuda and Abe are members of the Mori faction of the LDP, and campaigns by both would likely splinter the faction.^[2]

One of his most noted policy goals is to end prime ministerial visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. In June, Fukuda joined 134 other lawmakers in proposing a secular alternative to the shrine, citing constitutional concerns.^[3] LDP leader and long-time Koizumi ally Koichi Kato has stated that Abe's more hard-line stance on Yasukuni may damage his chances to succeed Koizumi, and has stated that Fukuda poses a "threat" to Abe in this regard.^[4]

On July 21, 2006, Fukuda decided that he would not seek the nomination. Most of Fukuda's supporters have backed Sadakazu Tanigaki, who like Fukuda, pledged to end visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.

1. ^ "Focus shifts to Koizumi's successor as Diet session nears end," Mainichi Daily News, June 17, 2006.
2. ^ "Staying mum not helping Fukuda's bid," Daily Yomiuri, June 15, 2006.
3. ^ "Japan lawmakers seek to replace war shrine," Shanghai Daily, June 16, 2006.
4. ^ "Abe's Chance to Lead Japan Hurt by China Relations, Kato Says," Bloomberg, June 13, 2006.