Takeo Fukuda and the Fate of the 'Running Dogs of Power' in a Shaky Age" (Stories from the 1970s)

Takeo Fukuda and the Fate of the 'Running Dogs of Power' in a Shaky Age" (Stories from the 1970s)

In the 1970s, the skies over Japan were filled with the fervor of economic growth, but at the same time the country was being tossed about by the storm of the oil shocks, and the shadow of the Cold War lurked in the depths of society. In this era, one man challenged head-on the criticism that he was a "running dog of power. His name was Takeo Fukuda. Having transformed himself from a bureaucrat to a politician, he spun out his own unique philosophy in the midst of these turbulent times.

The economic growth that had supported postwar reconstruction eventually reached a turning point, and society needed to take the next step forward. In the midst of this, suspicion of those in power swelled, and the word "power" reeked of corruption. Fukuda, too, became a "symbol of bureaucracy" and was ridiculed as a "running dog of power" by the anti-authority forces.

Fukuda, however, had a strong conviction that he would not succumb to this. Power is not a tool for evil, but a means to protect the nation and enrich the people. His voice was quiet but full of firm determination. Despite criticism that his fiscal policies favored big business, Fukuda consistently proposed policies that looked out for the interests of the nation as a whole.

His diplomacy was a search for a way to maintain balance in the international community, which was shaken in the balance of the Cold War. Standing between the two giants, the U.S. and China, he developed a sensitive diplomacy to help Japan carve out its own path. While this stance has been criticized as "power-oriented," it was also a pragmatism essential for maintaining national stability.

The term "running dog of power" that he faced was not just a label, but symbolized the contradictions and conflicts of the times. In this context, Fukuda did not justify his own position, but rather created a stir in the ethics of the times by raising questions about the nature of power.

Takeo Fukuda lived through the turbulent 1970s. His life was a story of the significance of defending the nation through power, not bending his convictions in the face of criticism. The fate he faced and the attitude with which he confronted it still pose a question to us today: "What is power for?