Kaifu, Toshiki [key], 1931–, Japanese politician. A graduate of the law faculty at Waseda Univ., Kaifu ran successfully for parliament in 1954. A member of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP), he served twice as education minister before rising to lead the party after the resignations of Noburu Takeshita and Sosuke Uno as a result of financial and other scandals. Although Kaifu became prime minister in 1989, his faction was too small to effectively wield power for very long. He resigned in 1991 and was replaced by Kiichi Miyazawa. In 1994 he quit the LDP and later became head of the newly founded Shinshinto (New Frontier party), a conservative reform party. He resigned as party leader in 1995.
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