Tokyo, June 8.– It is somehow fitting in a country known for longevity that one of Japan's most prominent former leaders reached 100 years of age last May.
As a World War II naval officer, Yasuhiro Nakasone witnessed the depths of his country's utter defeat and devastation. Four decades later he presided over Japan in the 1980s at the pinnacle of its economic success. In recent years, he has lobbied for revision of the war-renouncing, U.S.-drafted Constitution, a longtime cause that neither he nor any successor has achieved to date.
"I feel blissful that I was able to stand up and work with the Japanese people for Japan's reconstruction (from war devastation)," Nakasone said in a statement to mark his birthday Sunday. "As I reflect on 100 years of my life with the changing times, many memories pass through my mind and emotions fill up my chest."
Nakasone, who is cared for by his 71-year-old daughter at their Tokyo home, is slowing down but in fine health, his aide Masaki Donji said. He skipped his annual speech at a May rally in support of constitutional revision because he had broken his right hand and couldn't use his cane to get up from his wheelchair.
Still, he checks newspapers every morning and reads books ...
[ Full text ]