Memorial Service Speakers
The Hon. Yoshiro Mori, Chairman
Memorial Service Committee
The Hon. Soichiro Ito
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
The Hon. Juro Saito
President of the House of Councillors
The Hon. Shigeru Yamaguchi
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Mr. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
on behalf of the friends of Mr. Obuchi
The Hon. Yoshiro Mori, M.P.
Prime Minister
President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan
It is with the deepest respect that I express my condolences today at this Memorial Service held under the joint auspices of the Government of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party for the late Keizo Obuchi, holder of the Second Senior Court Rank and the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, former prime minister of Japan, and former president of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Having served the nation for one year and eight months as the much beloved "people's prime minister," and having fought with mortal illness for forty-three days, he embarked on a journey from which there is no return. It was an evening in May. The desperate efforts of his family and of the doctors had come to naught, and the people's prayers had proven futile. As the hearse carrying the earthly remains of Mr. Obuchi from the hospital to his home passed in front of the official residence of the prime minister, Mrs. Obuchi turned to her husband and said, "We are now at the official residence." I am told that just as these words were spoken, it suddenly began to rain with great force accompanied by the loud crash of thunder. It seemed as though the heavens themselves were bewailing their bereavement and expressing their sorrow at the loss of this politician. When I reflect on the all too sudden passing of former Prime Minister Obuchi and the cold-heartedness of the fate that closed the curtain on his life at the far too early age of 62, I am at a loss for words and feel only the deepest sorrow.
No one was more concerned than he with the current conditions and the future of our nation as we approached the tumultuous turn of the century. His inner being was afire with an indomitable spirit and the desire to stand as a "reformer" It was he who staked his very life on steering this nation, caught in the vortex of tribulations, to safety. I am anguished to think how deeply disappointed Mr. Obuchi must have been to have had to retire from the arena of action, felled by an unforeseen illness. Still midway on the path to his goal, he departed without witnessing the fruits of his own labor. In this moment of bereavement, I can do no more than to express my heartfelt gratitude to former Prime Minister Obuchi for dedicating his all to this nation and its people as its leader, and I pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.
Mr. Obuchi was my long-time friend and contemporary, both of us born in the Year of the Ox. Although I was two years his senior at Waseda University, he was two terms my senior as a politician. From our first meeting at Yubenkai, a Waseda University debating society, we enjoyed a close friendship for more than forty years.
Mr. Obuchi was born in 1937 in the town of Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture, as the second son of a family of thread manufacturers. He grew up with a great fondness for literature, particularly the literature of Osamu Dazai. I understand that it was the unexpected death of his father, Mitsuhei Obuchi, himself a member of the House of Representatives, that prompted him to change course and to aspire to the world of politics.
During his student days at Waseda University, Mr. Obuchi busied himself in preparation for a life in politics. One such act was his decision to join Yubenkai which had served as the starting point of many an illustrious political career. As a student, he also pursued his interests in calligraphy and aikido, and embarked on a world tour which took him to 38 countries. I am sure that these experiences had an important impact on his career as a politician. It was in February 1962 that U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy spoke at Waseda University's Okuma Auditorium. He explained how his brother, President John F. Kennedy, was advocating a new chapter in democracy, telling the American people that the time had come for them to "ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." Mr. Obuchi could not forget the excitement he had felt while listening to this speech. In July of the following year, he traveled to Washington and met with the Attorney General. It is certain that the powerful image of the Kennedy brothers as reformers building up a new age left a lasting impression on Mr. Obuchi and directly affected his political activities.
Mr. Obuchi won his seat in the House of Representatives at the very young age of twenty-six. This was to be the first in a series of twelve consecutive election victories in what was formerly the 3rd electoral district of Gunma Prefecture, an extremely competitive district and the home ground of former prime ministers Nakasone and Fukuda, as well as many other powerful politicians.
Mr. Obuchi belonged to the conservative mainstream of the Liberal Democratic Party and steadily built his stature as a politician, looking to Eisaku Sato, Kakuei Tanaka, and Noboru Takeshita as mentors. He gained his first appointment to the Cabinet in 1979 with a double portfolio as Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office and Director-General of the Okinawa Development Agency, and joined the Takeshita Cabinet as Chief Cabinet Secretary in 1987. When the nation was enveloped in sorrow with the news of the passing of Emperor Showa, Mr. Obuchi played a brilliant part in navigating the nation in the transition from the Showa Era to the Heisei Era as Chief Cabinet Secretary supporting Prime Minister Takeshita. He announced to the nation the title of "Heisei" given to the new reign, and thus earned himself the sobriquet of the "Heisei Cabinet Secretary" and "Uncle Heisei," appellations of warm appreciation given him by the people. This episode is all too famous today.
The moment of destiny arrived unexpectedly in July 1998. He succeeded Prime Minister Hashimoto, a long-time friend, to become the 84th prime minister of Japan. As he took office, our nation found itself in an economic recession and financial crisis of unprecedented proportions. Mr. Obuchi described the position of his Cabinet as being the "Cabinet for Economic Revival" and exercised powerful leadership in mobilizing a wide range of measures in such areas as financial and tax policies. As a result, a disastrous collapse of the financial system was averted and the first steps toward self-sustained recovery were taken. Thus, today we are witnessing the fruits of his labors.
It was Mr. Obuchi's assertion that the closing years of the twentieth century represented for Japan a "third reform" of no less importance than the preceding two periods of reformation, which occurred at the time of the Meiji Restoration and after the end of the Second World War. With this conviction, on the domestic front, he pursued economic structural reform and launched the process of the fundamental review of such core national institutions and systems as education, the judiciary, and social security. Of particular importance is the report of the Prime Minister's Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century, a document released in January of this year which I believe contains many valuable indications of the directions which Japan must take in the future. Mr. Obuchi's goal was the achievement of a "nation with wealth and virtue." We are committed to carrying forward and developing the spirit and principles embodied in this concept.
Mr. Obuchi took a special interest in foreign affairs. He adopted as his motto "foreign policy that moves hand in hand with the people," and set about working for the achievement of world peace and the security of Japan through active involvement in summit diplomacy.
This now brings me to the subject of the forthcoming G-8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit Meeting. Only about a month remains until the opening of this Summit Meeting for which he made many a bold decision laden with many a special hope. I am saddened by the irony of the fact that the news of his passing reached me in Okinawa right after the tape-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the Bankoku Shinryokan, which will serve as a venue for the Summit to which he was so committed. I realized later that he passed away at 4:07 p.m. right when the reception ended. It was a moment when I sensed the forces of destiny at work. Mr. Obuchi paid many visits to Okinawa during his student days, collecting money for the long boat trip with his friends. After he became a politician, he continued to be deeply concerned with Okinawa, and assisted in the reversion of Okinawa to Japan under Prime Minister Sato. I remember him ardently declaring a long time ago that it was his dream to understand the long history of Okinawa and the hearts of the people of Okinawa and to link their hearts with those of mainlanders. I am told that he attended a performance of Okinawan dance held in Tokyo in late February, and spontaneously took the floor to sing an Okinawan folk song which was met with thunderous applause. Out of his passion for Okinawa, he resolved to hold the Summit in Okinawa. In my recent trip to G-8 countries, these nations' leaders expressed high regard for Mr. Obuchi's commitment to world peace and the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit. How I earnestly wish that he could take the lead at the Okinawa Summit as chairman of the meeting. I am utterly heartbroken that he did not live to do so.
Mr. Obuchi has left for us a wonderfully rich heritage. His greatness as a politician lay in his capacity to accept the views and criticisms of many people while remaining focused on the future and determining what measures needed to be taken to ultimately accomplish his goals. This he was able to do through a political methodology which has come to be known as the "Obuchi style." What made this possible was the force of his character: his unassuming approach, his sincerity, and his appeal as a human being which drew the people to him. And his accomplishments reflect his special leadership quality of assigning people of capacity to posts matching their talents and making the greatest use of those capacities. Mr. Obuchi was able to establish a coalition government which all believed would be difficult. The people grew to love his unassuming personality, as reflected in the so-called "buchi-button phone," the habit of picking up the push-button phone to speak directly and freely to anyone who came to mind. All this was made possible by his special brand of rare political genius and charm. I am told that Mr. Obuchi's hospital room was laden with hundreds of letters wishing his most speedy recovery. Among them was a letter bearing the untrained handwriting of a four-year old child. This episode epitomizes the warm feelings of closeness the people held for him.
Mr. Obuchi was a man committed to his family. Through his own example he showed the people the wonderful sustaining warmth that emanates from a loving family. On holidays, he often could be seen with all the members of his family at art galleries and theaters. I cherish that picture that I have of him in my heart as a loving husband and father of three children, at all times caring for his family.
Today, Japan continues to face a future of considerable uncertainty. Though he is no longer amongst us, it is in times such as these that we shall remind ourselves of his appeal for the cause of "constructive optimism with firm determination," an appeal he made to the nation from the podium of the Diet, saying: "Let us stop bewailing our plight that our cup is half empty when it is half full. And let us advance toward a new consciousness of confidence in the half that is full." With these words in mind, we are determined to bring our strengths together and to push forward. I turn my heart to him to ask him to watch over his family whom he loved so dearly, and the progress of our nation and people.
There is no end to the memories which we hold dear of him, and never shall we forget him. May his soul forever repose in peace.
The Hon. Soichiro Ito, M.P.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
The late Keizo Obuchi, former prime minister, former president of the Liberal Democratic Party, a former member of the House of Representatives, and holder of the Second Senior Court Rank and the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, received a special Parliamentary citation for his long years of distinguished service to the cause of constitutional government.
After serving in various ministerial posts, he assumed the weighty responsibilities of the prime ministership, presiding over the affairs of state in a period of transition marked by numerous difficulties and challenges. He focused his energies on the goal of economic revitalization and dedicated himself to promoting world peace and stability. He also endeavored to better the livelihood of the Japanese people and improve the status of the nation in the international community. His invaluable contributions and achievements are great indeed.
The House of Representatives hereby offers its most sincere condolences on his passing.
The Hon. Juro Saito, M.P.
President of the House of Councillors
The late Keizo Obuchi, former prime minister, a former member of the House of Representatives, and holder of the Second Senior Court Rank and the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, strove unceasingly over the years on behalf of democracy in Japan.
The House of Councillors hereby offers its most sincere condolences on his passing.
The Hon. Shigeru Yamaguchi
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
It is with the deepest respect and sincerity that I offer my eulogy at this Memorial Service today held under the joint auspices of the Government of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party for the late Keizo Obuchi, holder of the Second Senior Court Rank and the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.
Mr. Obuchi devoted his life to serving the nation and assumed the weighty responsibilities of the prime ministership at a time when the nation faced particularly difficult economic circumstances. Armed with great insight and rich experience, he spared no effort to safeguard the prosperity of the nation. His many illustrious accomplishments will certainly be inscribed in the annals of history.
Upon his sudden illness, I joined in prayer for his early recovery. But sadly, our prayers were of no avail. With a heart laden with sorrow, I mourn his untimely loss.
It is with a profound sense of sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family. May his soul repose in peace.
Mr. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi
On behalf of the friends of Mr. Obuchi
I have come here with a heavy heart to bid farewell to my most valued friend, Keizo Obuchi, still stupefied by the shock of his sudden loss.
As I stand here today, I cannot escape the feeling that perhaps this Memorial Service is no more than a scene from a dream. Even the time that we shared through the years of the Showa and Heisei Eras now seems to have been no more than a dream.
It was at a gathering of the Association for Tourism held at Waseda University that I made his acquaintance. Within a few short years of our meeting in that cramped campus room, he had made his debut into the world of politics. What an incredible surprise it was for all of us. Now that memory also presents itself as a scene from a dream.
Over the years, Mr. Obuchi advanced to the center of politics. Yet from time to time, I had the pleasure of sharing a round of golf with him. Those memories also seem to be part of a dream.
I remember a particular day on the golf course when he revealed, with a hint of embarrassment, his deep feelings of respect for Sakamoto Ryoma. At other times, he would speak of his family and of music. Now those memories appear as a scene from a dream.
With the passage of time, we turned to find him at center-stage, revealing to the nation the placard bearing the characters of "Heisei," the name of the new reign. Then he was called to lead the nation and to take responsibility for a country still bearing the deep wounds left by the collapse of the bubble economy. As discourteous as this may be, even that memory now stands as if it were a scene from a dream.
But there is proof that none of this was a dream. Though I may yet remain stunned by the gravity of our loss, I stand here today to bear witness to the truth of all that transpired.
His sincerity, his consideration, and the warmth of his personality dictated that he would make no enemies, nor cause hurt and suffering to anyone. We were deeply attracted to his character and felt a great empathy for him.
As prime minister, Mr. Obuchi unleashed a bold series of economic measures and toiled persistently to overcome the financial crisis of unprecedented severity which had beset our nation. I ask myself who else but he could have seen this long and arduous task to a successful end. Today, a glimmer of light has begun to shine on the Japanese economy. For this, no doubt, we are indebted to him and to his tireless efforts.
I stand here today faced with the reality of his death and overcome by a sense of stupor. During the past days, my mind has frequently wandered to the concept of dreams.
Do we wake from our dreams? Do our dreams come true? Do our dreams open the path to hope? And I ask myself, "What were his dreams?" May his soul rest in peace, and may he now enjoy, to his heart's content, the true dreams that he aspired to.
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