Thunderous applause and shouts of "Banzai!" rang through the plush Tokyo headquarters of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week as Takeo Fukuda, 71, was unanimously chosen party president. Just minutes earlier, a grim-faced Takeo Miki, Japan's incumbent Premier, had received nearly as tumultuous an ovation when he bowed out as head of the party. The script was replayed the following day in the Diet's lower house; this time Miki resigned as Premier and Fukuda, with the L.D.P. controlling a bare majority of seats in the chamber, again succeeded him, becoming Japan's 13th postwar head of government.
Thus ended more...
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