Ailing former Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, the behind-the-scenes kingmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced through a recorded message Monday that he will retire from politics for health reasons.
"I have been in a condition that prevents me from fulfilling my duties as a politician," Takeshita, 76, said slowly but clearly. "And I've made up my mind that I must retire."
The recently recorded cassette tape message from Takeshita was played before reporters at LDP headquarters in Tokyo as the party's influential members looked on.