Tetsuzo Fuwa, former chairman of the Japanese Communist Party, died of acute heart failure on December 30 at the age of 95, the party announced the same day. Fuwa played a pivotal role in shifting the party from a revolutionary image to a pragmatic, moderate one. Born Kenjiro Ueda in 1930 in Tokyo, he joined the party in 1947.
Tetsuzo Fuwa, born Kenjiro Ueda in 1930 in Tokyo, attended the University of Tokyo and joined the Japanese Communist Party in 1947. He was first elected to the Lower House in 1969 and served 11 consecutive terms until 2003.
At age 40, Fuwa became the party's general secretary in 1970. He succeeded Kenji Miyamoto as chairman in 1982, holding the position until 1987, then returning from 1989 to 2000. He served as president of the party's central committee until 2006.
Throughout his tenure as a lawmaker, Fuwa was a key opposition figure, confronting 18 prime ministers from the Liberal Democratic Party in parliamentary questioning. He played a pivotal role in shaping the JCP's identity after the Miyamoto era, steering it away from its revolutionary image toward a pragmatic, moderate party that sought reform through cooperation with other opposition parties.
After stepping down from top leadership, Fuwa remained a member of the standing committee until 2024.
"It is a source of profound sorrow to have lost a senior figure who made such an enormous contribution, both theoretically and politically," JCP central committee chairman Kazuo Shii said in a statement Tuesday.
