Former Liberal Democratic Party kingmaker Mikio Aoki died Sunday. He was 89.
Aoki, known as the ¡°don of the Upper House¡± for his influence inside and outside the LDP, served as a lawmaker in the chamber between 1986 and 2010. He began his political career as a secretary to Noboru Takeshita, who later became prime minister, and went on to serve as a prefectural assembly member in Shimane Prefecture, where Takeshita hailed from, before entering national politics.
¡°Aoki earned the trust of those beyond the ruling and opposition parties. I respect his stance of valuing that trust in his work as a politician,¡± Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference Monday.
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