TOKYO – Tetsuzo Fuwa, the former Japanese Communist Party (JCP) chairman who helped steer the party through years of political pressure and shifting ideas, has died. He passed away on Tuesday from acute heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 95.
The JCP confirmed his death on the same day. For many inside the party, Fuwa’s passing marks the end of a long chapter. Often called the JCP’s “theoretical pillar”, he was seen as a steady hand who helped move the party away from hardline revolutionary thinking and towards a more practical role as a parliamentary opposition group.
Tetsuzo Fuwa was born Kenjiro Ueda on 26 January 1930 in Tokyo. He grew up in the years when Japan was under militarist rule, then entered adulthood in the unsettled period after the Second World War. He joined the JCP in 1947 while studying at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Science. He graduated in 1953.
After working with labour unions, he began working at JCP headquarters in 1964. He gained attention for clear thinking and a calm speaking style, which helped him rise quickly. In 1970, aged 40, he became head of the party secretariat. In that role, he supported then-chairman Kenji Miyamoto and took a lead on theory and policy.
His rise matched the party’s push in the early 1970s to refresh its image and connect with younger voters. Reports at the time highlighted his mild manner and appearance, which stood out against the usual image of stern communist leaders.
Some media even called him the party’s “prince”. He also became linked with efforts to pull the JCP away from any association with violent tactics.
Fuwa won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1969. He served 11 straight terms and represented the Tokyo area until he left the Diet in 2003.
Chairmanship and Changes in Direction
Tetsuzo Fuwa became chair of the JCP’s executive committee in 1982, taking over from Miyamoto. He served until 1987, then returned to the post from 1989 to 2000 during a period of internal change.
In 1998, he led a move to repair relations with the Chinese Communist Party. Ties had been cut for more than 30 years after the JCP criticised China’s Cultural Revolution. Fuwa travelled to Beijing and met then-President Jiang Zemin, with their handshake widely seen as a sign of a more practical approach.
A major part of Fuwa’s legacy came after he retired from parliament. In January 2004, he drove a wide rewrite of the JCP platform, the first major revision in 43 years. The updated platform accepted the Imperial system and the Self-Defense Forces “for the time being”, and removed wording such as “vanguard party” and “socialist revolution”.
The goal was to make the party easier for more voters to support, shifting the focus towards democratic reform and working with other opposition forces, while keeping its core beliefs.
From 2000 to 2006, he served as chairman of the Central Committee and backed the rise of younger leaders, including Kazuo Shii. Even after leaving top roles, he kept influence as a standing committee member until 2024, when he became an honorary member.
Tetsuzo Fuwa’s Reputation and Reactions from the Party
Tetsuzo Fuwa also built a strong reputation as a writer. He published widely on Marxism, socialism, and literature, and also wrote about hiking, a long-time hobby. His books, including multi-volume collections, helped cement his place as the party’s main thinker.
Central Committee Chairman Kazuo Shii said Fuwa’s death brought “deep sorrow” and credited him with a major role in both theory and politics. Party Chair Tomoko Tamura also paid tribute, sharing that Fuwa, only days before his death, spoke of wanting to keep working for people’s happiness, even as his health limited him.
Commentators say the party’s current direction still follows the more practical line Fuwa promoted, so the immediate impact on policy may be limited. The JCP remains a consistent critic of the US-Japan security relationship and of moves to revise the Constitution, while holding its ground in a political system long dominated by the Liberal Democratic Party.
Tetsuzo Fuwa is survived by his daughter, who will act as chief mourner at a family funeral. The party plans to hold a separate memorial service.
His death closes out the story of a postwar generation of Japanese left-wing leaders who lived through the Cold War, Japan’s economic rise, and big shifts in global politics, while keeping the Japanese Communist Party active in parliamentary democracy.
