Nakasone's Fix

How to handle Tanaka

When troubled by pressing problems, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone often seeks the solitude of To kyo's Zensho-an Buddhist temple. Last week was no exception. During almost a year in office, Nakasone has projected an image of strong leadership abroad and developed close personal ties with President Reagan, who will make a three-day visit to Japan this week. But at home, the Liberal Democratic statesman has seemed uncertain about how to handle the scandal sur rounding his longtime political ally, for mer Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. As pressure mounted on Nakasone to dis tance himself from the man who has come to be known as the Shadow Shogun, the troubled Japanese leader slipped away to the temple to contemplate one of the most difficult problems of his political career.

Ever since Tanaka was convicted last month of accepting $2 million in bribes from the Lockheed Corp. a decade ago, more than 200 members of the opposition, dominated by the Socialists, have boycotted parliament, demanding his expulsion. Tanaka is no longer officially a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (L.D.P.), but he still controls the largest bloc of the party's deputies in the 511-seat House of Representatives. Indeed Tanaka's influence is so strong in L.D.P. circles that without his support Nakasone would not have been chosen as Prime Minister. Thus Nakasone runs the risk of alienating many Tanaka supporters and jeopardizing his position as the party's official leader if he pushes too hard to break the present parliamentary deadlock.

In an effort to find a solution acceptable to all sides, Nakasone ar ranged a private meeting with his political mentor in a Tokyo hotel suite. As the tearful Prime Minister later told party leaders, he did not ask Tanaka outright to give up his seat in parliament, but "I believe what I meant to say was understood." If so, Tanaka ignored the hint. He has resolutely refused to resign and has vowed to take his case to the supreme court.

At week's end many members of the Diet were already heading for their home districts, convinced that Nakasone now had no other choice but to dissolve parliament and call for new elections. For the moment, Nakasone has good reason to put off announcing his decision. With Reagan coming to town, the Japanese leader clearly hopes that his success as an international statesman will overshadow his continuing troubles with the Shadow Shogun. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.