Japan former Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu dies at 91

Tokyo: Former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu died earlier this month, the government said Friday. He was 91. 

Toshiki Kaifu ascended to the premiership in August 1989 and served until November 1991. 

Kaifu, reportedly, died on Sunday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. The cause of his death was not immediately known.

Toshiki known for sending the Maritime Self-Defense Force to the Persian Gulf in 1991. 

He followed Prime Ministers Noboru Takeshita, who was involved in the Recruit Scandal, and Sosuke Uno, who lost an upper-house election because of an extramarital affair. 

Within the Liberal Democratic Party, he belonged to the relatively small Komoto faction, which is now the Aso faction.

Under his leadership, Japan contributed $13 billion to cover the costs of the multinational force deployed in the 1991 Gulf War, which was sparked by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. 

Japan was criticized by the US and others for not contributing personnel. That experience spurred Japan to participate in later United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.

Kaifu was forced to step down as premier in November 1991 after he vowed to reform the country's political system only to see a key bill fail to pass through parliament.

The legislation called for the introduction of single-seat constituencies in elections.

Moreover, he retired from politics after going down to defeat in the 2009 Lower House election. He served in that chamber for 48 years.