Noboru Takeshita

Takeshita, Noboru (1924– ), Japanese politician, prime minister 1987–89. He was elected to parliament in 1858, subsequently serving as chief cabinet secretary (1971–72, 1974), construction minister (1976), and finance minister (1979–80, 1982–86). He became head of the Liberal-Democratic Party in 1987. In a major upheaval, Takeshita and many other high officials of the Japanese government were implicated in a stocktrading scandal, and he resigned as prime minister in 1989.

See also: Japan.