Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has died at the age of 90, according to Japan’s Nikkei business daily.
Fukuda died on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo, Nikkei reported on Monday.
He was Japan’s first prime minister whose father had also held the country’s highest political office. His father, Takeo Fukuda, served as prime minister from 1976 to 1978.
Yasuo Fukuda became Japan’s 91st prime minister in September 2007 after Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned. However, his tenure lasted only about a year, ending in September 2008 amid political disagreements and a prolonged legislative deadlock.
Born in 1936, Fukuda graduated with a degree in economics from Waseda University in Tokyo. Before entering politics, he spent nearly two decades working for an oil company, including a two-year posting in the United States.
He later became a political secretary to his father in 1976, when Takeo Fukuda assumed the premiership.
Fukuda entered parliament in 1990 after winning election to Japan’s House of Representatives. He subsequently served as chief cabinet secretary from 2000 to 2004 under Prime Ministers Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.
During his time as prime minister, Fukuda sought to strengthen Japan’s diplomatic relations with neighbouring Asian countries, particularly China. He was regarded as a moderate within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and emphasised dialogue and regional cooperation.
Soon after taking office, he pursued closer engagement with Beijing and invited then-Chinese President Hu Jintao to visit Japan in 2008. The two countries also sought to advance what they described as a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship.
Fukuda also chaired the Group of Eight summit held in Toyako, Hokkaido, in July 2008, where climate change and global environmental challenges featured prominently on the agenda.
However, his administration faced significant difficulties because the opposition controlled the upper house of Japan’s parliament, making it challenging for the government to pass legislation.
Frustrated by the political deadlock, Fukuda announced his resignation in September 2008, less than a year after taking office.
Following his departure from the premiership, he continued to participate in diplomatic initiatives, particularly efforts to improve relations between Japan and China.
Fukuda retired from electoral politics in 2012. His son, Tatsuo Fukuda, also became a lawmaker and has been viewed as a potential future political leader.
His death marks the passing of a former Japanese leader whose brief premiership was characterised by domestic political challenges and efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties across Asia.
