Tokyo, Nov 29 (TIWN) Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone died at the age of 101, sources close to the matter said on Friday.

Nakasone was one of a handful of Japanese politicians dubbed yōkai (monster) due to their lengthy political careers and powerful influence. He served as prime minister from 1982 to 1987, when Japan was emerging as a new economic power, leading to trade frictions with the U.S.  A former officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy and native of Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, he challenged a number of political postwar taboos, based on his conservative political creeds.  Nakasone called for a revision of the U.S.-drafted postwar Constitution, promoted the introduction of commercial nuclear power plants and built closer military ties with Washington.  “Mr. Nakasone took the helm of this country at a turning point of the postwar era, taking heavy responsibilities as the prime minister for five years,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement Friday.