Masayoshi Ōhira

Masayoshi Ōhira
大平 正芳
Official portrait, 1978
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
7 December 1978  12 June 1980
MonarchHirohito
Preceded byTakeo Fukuda
Succeeded byZenkō Suzuki
President of the Liberal Democratic Party
In office
1 December 1978  12 June 1980
Vice PresidentEiichi Nishimura
Secretary-GeneralKunikichi Saito
Preceded byTakeo Fukuda
Succeeded byEiichi Nishimura (acting)
Ministerial offices
Minister of Finance
In office
16 July 1974  24 December 1976
Prime MinisterKakuei Tanaka
Takeo Miki
Preceded byTakeo Fukuda
Succeeded byHideo Bo
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
7 July 1972  16 July 1974
Prime MinisterKakuei Tanaka
Preceded byTakeo Fukuda
Succeeded byToshio Kimura
In office
18 July 1962  18 July 1964
Prime MinisterHayato Ikeda
Preceded byZentaro Kosaka
Succeeded byEtsusaburo Shiina
Minister of International Trade and Industry
In office
30 November 1968  14 January 1970
Prime MinisterEisaku Satō
Preceded byEtsusaburo Shiina
Succeeded byKiichi Miyazawa
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In office
19 July 1960  18 July 1962
Prime MinisterHayato Ikeda
Preceded byEtsusaburo Shiina
Succeeded byYasumi Kurogane
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
1 October 1952  12 June 1980
ConstituencyKagawa 2nd
Personal details
Born(1910-03-12)12 March 1910
Kan'onji, Empire of Japan
Died12 June 1980(1980-06-12) (aged 70)
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic
(1955–1980)
Other political
affiliations
Liberal (1952–1955)
Spouse
Shigeko Suzuki
(m. 1937)
Children4
Alma materHitotsubashi University
Signature

Masayoshi Ōhira (大平 正芳, Ōhira Masayoshi, 12 March 1910 – 12 June 1980) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1978 until his death in 1980.

Born in Kagawa Prefecture, Ōhira worked in the Ministry of Finance from 1936, and served as the private secretary to Hayato Ikeda, finance minister from 1949 to 1952. Ōhira was first elected to the Diet in 1952, and served as foreign minister in Ikeda's cabinet from 1962 to 1964 and as international trade and industry minister from 1968 to 1970 under Eisaku Satō. He took over Ikeda's faction of the Liberal Democratic Party and later served as foreign minister from 1972 to 1974 under Kakuei Tanaka and as finance minister from 1974 to 1976 under Takeo Miki. He succeeded Takeo Fukuda as LDP president and prime minister in 1978. After his government was defeated in a no-confidence vote, Ōhira decided to call the 1980 election rather than resign, but died suddenly of a heart attack. He is the most recent Japanese premier to die in office.