Japan’s ex-Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, nicknamed as ‘Lionheart’ and ‘Maverick’ has finally kissed good-bye to the political career. Mr. Koizumi, the longest serving Prime Minister in last two decades, will be remembered for reviving the depressed Japanese economy as well as receiving flak from neighbours for controversial activities.

Koizumi was instrumental in bringing out changes in the defence policy. He approved the expansion of the Japan self-defense Forces (JSDF) and in October 2001 they were given greater scope to operate outside the country. Some of these troops were dispatched to Iraq, though only to carry out non-combat duties.

Koizumi received strong condemnations for his controversial visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, starting on 13th August 2001. He visited the shrine six times as Prime Minister. Because, the shrine honors many convicted Japanese war criminals, including 14 executed Class A war criminals, these visits drew strong condemnation and protests from Japan’s neighbors, mainly the People’s Republic of China and South Korea. Another issue that brought the Prime Minister into dispute was the issuing of revised history textbooks by the Japanese government, which have whitewashed Japan’s wartime atrocities.

Mr. Koizumi has been instrumental in turning around the economy. His proposal to cut pension benefits as a move to fiscal reforms, however, turned out to be highly unpopular. This restricted his administration’s approval rating in the House of Councilors elections in 2004 to being only marginally better than the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). In 2005, the House of Councilors rejected the contentious postal privatization bills. Koizumi previously made it clear that he would dissolve the Lower House if the bill failed to pass. The Democratic Party, while expressing support for the privatization, made a tactical vote against the bill. Fifty-one LDP members also either voted against the bills or abstained.

On 8th August 2005, Koizumi, as promised, dissolved the House of Representatives and called for snap elections. However, Koizumi’s popularity rose almost twenty points after he dissolved the House and expelled rebel LDP members. Koizumi announced that he would step down from office in 2006, as per LDP rules, and would not personally choose a successor as many LDP Prime ministers have done in the past. Koizumi is also a noted fan of Elvis Presley. In 2001 he released a collection of his favorite Elvis songs on CD with his comments about each song.

Mr. Koizumi was a third-generation politician of his family. He set off his political career as being a member of the Lower House in 1972; afterwards occupied a number of government posts. In 2001, Koizumi was elected the president of the LDP, and became the Prime Minister of Japan by defeating Hashimoto. Unlike his political life, his personal life has not been so smooth.

Koizumi married 21-year-old Keio student Kayoko Miyamoto in 1978. The marriage ended in divorce in 1982. Both husband and wife were unhappy with each other. After the divorce, Koizumi vowed never to marry again, saying that divorce consumed ten times more energy than marriage.