Sōtō Zen (Ch. Caodong), or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.

The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century. Dōgen is remembered today as the co-patriarch of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin. One of the signature features of this school is found in its practice of shikantaza, a particular approach to zazen which is sometimes referred to as "just sitting" or "silent illumination." Historically speaking, Sōtō Zen was often given the derogatory term "farmer Zen" because of its mass appeal, while the Rinzai school was often called "samurai Zen" because of the larger samurai following. The latter term for the Rinzai can be somewhat misleading, however, as the Sōtō school also had samurai among its rosters.

The two head temples, or of the Sōtō sect are Eiheiji and Sōji-ji. While Eiheiji owes its existence to Dōgen, throughout history this head temple has had significantly less sub-temple affiliates than the Sōji-ji. During the Tokugawa period, Eiheiji had approximately 1,300 affiliate temples compared to Sōji-ji's 16,200. Furthermore, out of the more than 14,000 temples of the Sōtō sect today—13,850 of those identify themselves as affiliates of Sōji-ji. Additionally, most of the some 148 temples that are affiliates of Eiheiji today are only minor temples located in Hokkaido—founded during a period of colonization during the Meiji period. Therefore, it is often said that Eiheiji is a head temple only in the sense that it is "head of all Sōtō dharma lineages."

History

Early period

, credited founder of the Sōtō sect in Japan]] in Yokohama]] The early beginnings of the Sōtō sect in Japan are traced back to 1227, the date in which Dōgen returned to Japan after studying Ch'an in China and settled at Kenninji in Kyoto. In China Dōgen had received Dharma transmission from Tiantong Rujing at the same monastery that Hongzhi Zhengjue was once abbot—Hongzhi being an individual whose own writings on "silent illumination" had greatly influenced Dōgen's own conception of shikantaza. The Eihei kōroku claims that, unlike many of the other Japanese monks who had also traveled to China during this period, Dōgen returned to Japan with no artifacts or texts from his journey. Instead, he came only with his own realization and physical body. This is untrue, however, as he did return with various koan anthologies and other papers; thus, Dōgen did contribute to the transmission of the koan tradition to Japan. John Whitney Hall writes, "In the first works he wrote after his return to Japan, the Fukan zazengi (Principles for the universal promotion of zazen) and Bendōwa (Distinguishing the Way), he advocated zazen (seated meditation) as the supreme Buddhist practice for both monks and laypersons. This assertion of the primacy of Zen aroused the anger of the Enrayakuji monks, who succeeded in driving Dōgen from the Kenninji where he had settled after his return to the capital." Next, according to Philip B. Yampolsky, "Finding the atmosphere of Kyoto not conducive to his aims, Dōgen transferred his activities to the remote area of Fukui where he established a monastery in 1243. Here he devoted himself to the strict instruction of his disciples. But with the premature death of Dōgen the group lost its focus and internal conflicts led to a split. Dōgen's followers soon introduced such esoteric elements as prayers and incantations into the teaching. By the time of the Fourth Patriarch, Keizan Jōkin (1286—1325), Sōtō Zen was no longer centered in Fukai, but had begun to spread throughout the country." The monastery in Fukui which Dōgen founded in 1243 (to which Yampolsky refers) is Eiheiji, one of the two head temples of Sōtōshu today.

Split

Dōgen was succeeded in death by his disciple Koun Ejō, who like Dōgen believed in the primacy of Zen Buddhism and resisted efforts from outside to water down the tradition with other beliefs. The split which Yampolsky refers to occurred following the death of Ejō, a controversy called the sandai sōron, wherein the monk that would eventually be called Ejō's successor, Gikai, was actually exiled to Kaga province, Dajōji (in Ishikawa prefecture). The second most important figure in Sōtō, Keizan, belonged not to the Eihei-ji branch but to this dissident branch. Keizan went on to found Yoko-ji in Ishikawa prefecture in 1312, and thereafter opened Sōji-ji. In another passage Bernard Faure writes, "According to tradition, in 1322 a decree from Emperor Go-Daigo, who had received from Keizan the Bodhisattva Precepts, made Sōjiji into an officially recognized monastery. Two years later Keizan passed the direction of this monastery on to his disciple Gasan Jōseki while he himself went back to Yōkoji to spend his remaining days, according to the wish he had expressed in in the Record of Tōkoku." Yōkoji was Keizan's main temple, and, "despite Keizan's high hopes for Yōkoji, it was another of his foundations, Sōjiji, that would prosper after his death, thanks to Gasan Jōseki and his disciples. In spite of efforts at restoration undertaken at the end of the last century (efforts that still continue), Yōkoji remains a barren spot."

Patriarchy

Temple]] Even though Dōgen is today considered an original patriarch of the Sōtō sect, according to Charles S. Prebish and Steven Heine, "...for long periods he was regarded as no more important than several other ancestors, particularly fourth patriarch Keizan and Guin, the fifth patriarch of Dōgen's temple Eiheiji, which often competed with the main temple founded by Keizan, Sōjiji, originally situated in the Noto peninsula but relocated to Yokohama in 1898." While Keizan is considered today to be an original patriarch (some sources say fourth patriarch) of the Sōtō sect along with Dōgen, in 1877 the heads of the Sōtō community acknowledged him for a brief period as the overall founder of the Sōtō sect. According to William M. Bodiford, "In 1877 the Sōtō hierarchy announced new dates based on the solar calendar for yearly rituals. The true significance of that announcement, however, went beyond the abandonment of the lunar calendar. For the first time memorial services for Keizan were included among the annual events observed at all Sōtō temples. Today that proclamation is said to mark the date when Keizan gained official recognition as the patriarch of the entire Japanese Sōtō school. Previously, the only Japanese patriarch common to all Sōtō factions had been Dōgen. Keizan, by contrast, was known not as a source of religious authority but as the founder of Sōjiji, the head temple of the largest Sōtō faction." According to an essay by Hisao Inagika, Dōgen had, "involved himself in what we may refer to as a lay movement in the early days of his missionary career in Kyōto, after his retreat to the Eiheiji Monastery in Fukui (and particularly in his later years at the Monastery), he seemingly preferred monastic discipline. It is precisely for this reason that today the Japanese Sōtō Zen cites two patriarchs, viz., Dōgen, who is referred to as the "kōso," and Keizan, who is referred to as the "taiso." Both terms mean the original patriarch, that is, the founder of Japanese Sōtō Zen tradition." The larger majority of North American Sōtō priests, although including Japanese nationals, mainly those of American and specifically European descent, joined together in 1996 to form the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. While institutionally independent of the Japanese Sōtōshū, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association works closely with what most members see as their parent organization. With about one hundred fully transmitted priests, the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Association now represents nearly all Japanese-derived Sōtō Zen lineages in North America.

Important texts

Sutras

Sōtō Zen, like all of Zen, relies on the Prajnaparamita Sutras, as well as general Mahayana Buddhist sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra, the Brahma Net Sutra and the Lankavatara Sutra. Zen is influenced in large part by the Yogacara school of philosophy as well as the Huayan school.

Sōtō Zen texts

Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien's (Shitou Xiqien, Sekito Kisen, 700–790) poem "The Harmony of Difference and Sameness" is an important early expression of Zen Buddhism and is chanted in Sōtō temples to this day. One of the poems of Tung-shan Liang-chieh, the founder of Sōtō, "The Song of the Jewel Mirror Awareness" is also chanted in Sōtō temples. Another set of his poems on the Five Positions (Five Ranks) of Absolute and Relative is important as a set of koans in the Rinzai school. Other texts typically chanted in Sōtō Zen temples include the Heart Sutra (Hannyashingyō), and Dōgen's Fukanzazengi (Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen). Dōgen's teaching is characterized by the identification of practice as enlightenment itself. This is to be found in the Shōbōgenzō.

See also

Eihei-ji

Caodong

Japanese Buddhism

Shikantaza

Shunryu Suzuki

Gudo Nishijima

Taizan Maezumi

Zazen

Koan

Notes

References

Williams, D. R. (2004) The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Sōtō Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan (Buddhisms: A Princeton University Press Series), Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-11928-7

Koho, K.C. (2000) Sōtō Zen: An Introduction to the Thought of the Serene Reflection Meditation School of Buddhism, Shasta Abbey Press, ISBN 0-930066-09-X

Dumoulin, Heinrich (2005). Zen Buddhism: A History (Volume 2: Japan). World Wisdom Press, ISBN 0-941532-90-9

Warner, Brad (2007). Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, & Dōgen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye, New World Library, ISBN 978-1-57731-559-9

External links

Sōtō Zen International Official homepage of the Sōtō school of Zen.

Order of the Prairie Wind An independent order of ordained Sōtō Zen Buddhist priests founded by Rev. Nonin Chowaney.

The Norwegian Sōtō Zen Buddhist Order. (Defaults to Norwegian text. English text selectable.)

The International Zen Association Founded by Master Taisen Deshimaru in France for Europe.

The IZA in the UK IZAUK is an affiliate of the International Zen Association.

The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives The Order of Buddhist contemplatives founded by Rev. Master P.T.N.H. Houn Jiyu-Kennett.

San Francisco Zen Center One of the largest American Sōtō Zen centers, founded by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and his American students in 1962. SF Zen Center's Tassajara Zen Mountain Center was the first Sōtō Zen training monastery established in North America.

Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery Official homepage of the Sōtō Zen Buddhist Abbey near Mount Shasta, CA.

Soto Zen Category:Buddhist orders

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
Background	#FFD068 | color = black
Name	Shunryu Suzuki
Caption	Shunryu Suzuki on David Chadwick's Crooked Cucumber
Birth date	May 18, 1904
Birth place	Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Death date	December 04, 1971
Death place	San Francisco
School	Sōtō
Title	Roshi
Successor	Zentatsu Richard Baker
Spouse	Mitsu Suzuki

Shunryu Suzuki (鈴木 俊隆 Suzuki Shunryū, dharma name Shōgaku Shunryū 祥岳俊隆) (May 18, 1904 – December 4, 1971) was a Sōtō Zen roshi (Zen Master) who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T. Suzuki, to which Shunryu would reply, "No, he's the big Suzuki, I'm the little Suzuki."

Biography

Childhood

Shunryu Suzuki was born May 18, 1904. His father, Butsumon Sogaku Suzuki, was almost fifty at the time and was the head abbot of a small Soto Zen temple. His mother Yone was the daughter of a priest and had been divorced from her first husband for being too independent. Shunryu grew up with an older half brother from his mother's first marriage and two younger sisters.

His father's temple, Shogan-ji, was located near Hiratsuka, a city on Sagami Bay about fifty miles southwest of Tokyo. The temple income was small and the family had to be very thrifty.

When Suzuki entered school he became aware that his family was very poor. Suzuki was sensitive and kind but prone to quick bursts of anger. The other boys ridiculed him for his shaved head and for being the son of a priest. He preferred staying in the classroom to playing in the schoolyard, and was always at the top of his class. His teacher told him that he should grow up to be a great man, and to do this he needed to leave Kanagawa Prefecture and study hard.

Apprenticeship

In 1916, 12 year-old Suzuki decided to train with a former disciple of his father, Gyokujun So-on Suzuki. So-on was Sogaku's adopted son, and abbot of Sokagu's former temple Zoun-in. His parents initially thought he was too young to live far from home, but eventually allowed it.

Zoun-in is located in a small village called Mori, Shizuoka in Japan. Suzuki arrived during a 100 day sitting period at the temple, and was the youngest student there. Zoun-in was a much larger temple than Shoganji.

At 4 a.m each morning he would arise for zazen. Next he would chant sutras and begin cleaning the temple with the others. They would work throughout the day and then, in the evenings, they all would resume zazen. Suzuki idolized his teacher, who was a strong disciplinarian. So-on often was rough on Suzuki, but gave him some latitude for being so young.

When Suzuki turned 13, on May 18, 1917, So-on ordained him as a novice monk (unsui). He was given the Buddhist name Shogaku Shunryu, yet So-on nicknamed him Crooked Cucumber for his forgetful and unpredictable nature.

Shunryu began again attending upper-elementary school in Mori, but So-on did not supply proper clothes for him. He was the subject of ridicule, but in spite of his misfortune he wouldn't complain. Instead he doubled his efforts back at the temple.

When Shunryu had first come to Zoun-in, 8 other boys were studying there. By 1918, he was the only one who stayed with So-on. This made his life a bit tougher with So-on, who had more time to scrutinize him. During this period Suzuki wanted to leave Zoun-in but equally didn't want to give up.

In 1918 So-on was made head of a second temple, on the rim of Yaizu, called Rinso-in. Shunryu followed him there and helped whip the place back in order. Soon, families began sending their sons there and the temple began to come to life. Suzuki had failed an admissions test at the nearby school, so So-on began teaching the boys how to read and write Chinese.

So-on soon sent his students to train with a Rinzai master for a while. Here Shunryu studied a very different kind of Zen, one that promoted the attainment of satori through the concentration on koans through zazen. Suzuki had problems sitting with his koan. Meanwhile, all the other boys passed theirs, and he felt isolated. Just before the ceremony marking their departure Suzuki went to the Rinzai teacher and blurted out his answer. The master passed Suzuki, but later Shunryu believed he had done it simply to be kind.

In 1919, at age 15, Suzuki was brought back home by his parents, who suspected mistreatment by So-on. Shunryu helped out with the temple while there, and entered middle school. Yet, when summer vacation came, he was back at Rinso-in and Zoun-in with So-on to train and help out. He himself didn't want to stop training.

In school Suzuki took English and did quite well in learning it. A local doctor, Dr. Yoshikawa, even hired him to tutor his two sons in English. Yoshikawa treated Suzuki well, giving him a wage and occasional advice.

Higher education

In 1924 Shunryu enrolled in a Soto preparatory school in Tokyo not far from Shogan-ji, where he lived on the school grounds in the dorm. From 1925 to 1926 Suzuki did Zen training with Dojun Kato in Shizuoka at Kenko-in. He continued his schooling during this period. Here Shunryu became head monk for a 100 day retreat, after which he was no longer merely considered a novice. He had completed his training as a head monk.

In April 1926 Shunryu graduated from preparatory school and entered Komazawa University, a university which also taught Soto Zen. During this period he continued his connections with So-on in Zoun-in, going back and forth whenever possible.

Some of his teachers here were discussing how Soto Zen might reach a bigger audience with students and, while Shunryu couldn't comprehend how Western cultures could ever understand Zen, he was intrigued.

On August 26, 1926, So-on gave Dharma transmission to Suzuki. He was 22. Shunryu's father also retired as abbot at Shogan-ji this same year, and moved the family onto the grounds of Zoun-in where he served as inkyo (retired abbot).

Later that year Suzuki spent a short time in the hospital with tuberculosis, but soon recovered. In 1927 an important chapter in Suzuki's life was turned. He went to visit a professor in English he had at Komazawa named Miss Nona Ransom, a woman who had taught English to such people as Jigoro Kano (the Founder of Judo) and the children of Chinese president Li Yuanhong. She hired him that day to be a translator with others and to help with errands. Through this period he realized she was very ignorant of Japanese culture and the religion of Buddhism. She respected it very little and saw it as idol worship. But one day, when there were no chores to be done, the two had a conversation on Buddhism that changed her mind. She even let Suzuki teach her zazen meditation. This experience is significant in that Suzuki realized that Western ignorance of Buddhism could be transformed if they were educated on exactly what it is.

On January 22, 1929, So-on retired as abbot of Zoun-in and installed Shunryu as its 28th abbot. Sogaku would run the temple for Shunryu. In January 1930 a ceremony called ten'e was held at Zoun-in for Shunryu acknowledging So-on's Dharma transmission to him. A way for the Soto heads to grant him permission to teach as a priest. On April 10, 1930, at age 25, Suzuki graduated from Komazawa Daigakurin with a major in Zen and Buddhist philosophy, and a minor in English.

Suzuki mentioned to So-on during this period that he might be interested in going to America to teach Zen Buddhism. So-on was adamantly opposed to the idea. Suzuki realized that his teacher felt very close to him and that he would take such a departure as an insult. He did not mention it to him again.

Eiheiji and Sojiji

Upon graduation from Komazawa, So-on wanted Shunryu to continue his training at the well known Soto Zen temple in Fukui Prefecture known as Eiheiji. In September 1930 Suzuki entered the training temple and underwent the Zen initiation known as tangaryo. His mother and father stayed on at Zoun-in to care for his temple in his absence.

Eiheiji is one of the largest Zen training facilities in Japan, and the abbot at this time was Gempo Kitano-roshi. Prior to coming to Japan, Kitano was head of Soto Zen in Korea. He also was one of the founders of Zenshuji, a Soto Zen temple located in Los Angeles, California. Suzuki's father and Kitano had a tense history between them. Sogaku had trained with Kitano in his early Zen training and felt that he was such a high priest due to familial status and connections. Shunryu did not see this in Kitano, however. He saw a humble man who gave clear instruction, and Shunryu realized that his father was very wrong in his assessment.

Often monks were assigned duties at the monastery to serve certain masters. Shunryu was assigned to Ian Kishizawa-roshi, a well known teacher at the time who had previously studied under two great Japanese teachers: Oka Sotan and Nishiari Bokusan. He was a renowned scholar on Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō, and was also an acquaintance of his father from childhood.

Kishizawa was strict but not abusive, treating Suzuki well. Suzuki learned much from him, and Kishizawa saw a lot of potential in him. Through him Suzuki came to appreciate the importance of bowing in Zen practice through example. In December Suzuki sat his first true sesshin for 7 days, an ordeal that was challenging initially but proved rewarding toward the end. This concluded his first practice period at Eiheiji.

In September 1931, after one more practice period and sesshin at Eiheiji, So-on arranged for Suzuki to train in Yokohama at Sojiji. Sojiji was the other main Soto temple of Japan, and again Suzuki underwent the harsh tangaryo initiation. Sojiji was founded by the great Zen master Keizan and had a more relaxed atmosphere than Eiheiji. At Sojiji Suzuki travelled back to Zoun-in frequently to attend to his temple.

In 1932 So-on came to Sojiji to visit with Shunryu and, after hearing of Suzuki's contentment at the temple, advised him to leave it. In April of that year Suzuki left Sojiji with some regret and moved back in to Zoun-in, living with his family there. In May he visited with Ian Kishizawa from Eihiji and, with So-on's blessing, asked to continue studies under him. He went to Gyokuden-in for his instruction, where Kishizawa trained him hard in zazen and conducted personal interviews with him.

Sometime during this period Suzuki married a woman who contracted tuberculosis. The date and name of this woman is not known to us, but the marriage was soon annulled. She went back to live with her family while he focused on his duties at Zoun-in.

Suzuki reportedly was involved with some anti-war activities during World War II, but according to David Chadwick, the record is confusing and, at most, his actions were low-key. However, considering the wholesale enthusiastic support for the war expressed by the entire religious establishment in Japan at the time, this fact is significant in showing something of the character of the man.

San Francisco Zen Center

On May 23, 1959 Suzuki-roshi arrived in San Francisco, CA to attend to Soko-ji, at that time the sole Soto Zen temple in San Francisco. Suzuki took over for the interim priest, Wako Kazumitsu Kato. Suzuki was taken aback by the Americanized and watered down Buddhism practiced at the Temple, mostly by older immigrant Japanese. He found American culture interesting and not too difficult to adjust to, even commenting once that "if I knew it would be like this, I would have come here sooner!" He was surprised to see that Sokoji was previously a Jewish synagogue (at 300 Page Street, now a historic landmark). His sleeping quarters were located upstairs, a windowless room with an adjoining office.

At the time of Suzuki's arrival, Zen had become a hot topic amongst some groups in the United States, especially beatniks. Particularly influential were several books on Zen and Buddhism by Alan Watts. Word began to spread about Suzuki among the beatniks through places like The San Francisco Art Institute and The American Academy of Asian Studies, where Alan Watts was once director. Kato had done some presentations at the Academy and asked Suzuki to come join a class he was giving there on Buddhism. This sparked Suzuki's long held desire to teach Zen to Westerners, something he had thought about ever since an encounter he had had with a British woman in Japan as a young man.

The class was filled with those wanting to learn more about Buddhism, and the presence of a Zen roshi was inspiring for them. Suzuki had the class do zazen for 20 minutes, sitting on the floor without a zafu and staring forward at the white wall. In closing, Suzuki invited everyone to stop in at Sokoji for morning zazen. Little by little more and more people would show up each week to sit zazen for 40 minutes with Suzuki on mornings. The students were improvising, using cushions borrowed from wherever they could find them.

The predominantly Caucasian group that joined Suzuki to sit eventually formed the San Francisco Zen Center with Suzuki. The Zen Center flourished so that in 1966, at the behest and guidance of Suzuki, Zentatsu Richard Baker helped seal the purchase of Tassajara Hot Springs in Los Padres National Forest which they called Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Soon thereafter, they bought a building at 300 Page Street near San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood and turned it into a Zen temple. Suzuki left his post at Sokoji to become the first abbot of the first Buddhist training monastery outside of Asia. Suzuki's departure from Sokoji was inspired by his dissatisfaction with the superficial Buddhist practice of the Japanese immigrant community, and Suzuki's preference for the American students who were more seriously interested in Zen meditation. Suzuki held a low opinion of the Japanese Zen establishment, seeing it as corrupt and more interested in rituals than in true Zen practice. He saw his American Students as a means to reform Zen, and return it to its pure, Zazen (meditation) centered roots. A collection of his teishos (Zen talks) were bundled in the books Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen. His lectures on the Sandokai are collected in Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness. A biography of Suzuki, titled Crooked Cucumber, was written by David Chadwick in 1999.

Students

Notable people among Suzuki's students include:

Steve Roggenbuck

Tenshin Reb Anderson

Zentatsu Richard Baker

Edward Espe Brown

David Chadwick

Jakusho Kwong

Sojun Mel Weitsman

Quotations

"Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity."

"Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want to have a good harvest, the most important thing is to make the soil rich and cultivate it well."

"So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always yourself, without sticking to an old self."

"When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself."

"Zazen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this practice; there is no other way of life than this way of life."

"Take care of things, and they will take care of you."

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few."

"Life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore, nor actual difficulty in our life."

"As soon as you see something, you already start to intellectualize it. As soon as you intellectualize something, it is no longer what you saw."

"The way that helps will not be the same; it changes according to the situation."

“That bird is free – you owe me a bird.”

"Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer."

See also

Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

Shoshin

Notes

References

External links

San Francisco Zen Center

David Chadwick's cuke.com

Category:1904 births Category:1971 deaths Category:Buddhism in the United States Category:Zen Buddhism writers Category:Zen Buddhist monks and priests Suzuki, Shunryu Category:Soto Zen Buddhists Category:Komazawa University alumni Category:Japanese Buddhist monks Category:Modern Buddhist writers Category:Japanese Zen Buddhists Category:Japanese Buddhist missionaries

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
Name	Zenko Suzuki鈴木 善幸
Office	Prime Minister of Japan
Monarch	Shōwa
Term start	17 July 1980
Term end	27 November 1982
Predecessor	Masayoshi Itō (Acting)
Successor	Yasuhiro Nakasone
Birth date	January 11, 1911
Birth place	Yamada, Japan
Death date	July 19, 2004
Death place	Tokyo, Japan
Party	Liberal Democratic Party (1955–2004)
Otherparty	Liberal Party (1948–1950)Democratic Liberal Party (1950–1955)
Children	Shunichi Suzuki
Alma mater	Tokyo University of Fisheries

Zenko Suzuki (鈴木 善幸 Suzuki Zenkō; January 11, 1911 – July 19, 2004) was a Japanese politician and the 70th Prime Minister of Japan from July 17, 1980 to November 27, 1982.

Suzuki graduated from Tokyo University of Fisheries in 1935. He joined the Liberal Party in 1948, and helped merged it with another right of center party to establish the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1955.

Suzuki was appointed Prime Minister following the sudden death of Masayoshi Ohira, who died of a heart attack during a general election campaign. The sympathy vote generated by Ohira's death resulted in a landslide for the ruling LDP, handing Suzuki the largest parliamentary majority any Prime Minister had enjoyed for many years. He chose not to run for reelection to the presidency of the LDP in 1982, and was succeeded by Yasuhiro Nakasone.

He served during a period of instability; Cabinet members frequently changed, and parties were often split by fractional politics. His diplomatic skills allowed him to chair his party's executive council ten times, winning him support in his early career. Despite his foreign policy gaffes as prime minister, he later helped further foreign relations with the United States, during a 1988 summit with Ronald Reagan.

He was born in Yamada, Iwate and died at the International Medical Center of Japan, in Tokyo of pneumonia. His son Shunichi Suzuki currently serves in the Diet.

References

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Category:Cold War leaders Category:Prime Ministers of Japan Category:People from Iwate Prefecture Category:1911 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Liberal Party (Japan, 1945) politicians Category:Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians