Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who used his brief period in office to seek closer ties with Asian neighbours, particularly China, has died at the age of 90, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday.

Source: Reuters

Fukuda, the first son of a prime minister to become premier himself, died on Thursday from heart failure, the Nikkei said, according to Reuters. His father, Takeo Fukuda, led Japan for two years in the 1970s, and Yasuo's own tenure would prove even shorter than his father's.

He became prime minister in September 2007 after the sudden resignation of Shinzo Abe, and joked at the time that he might have drawn the short straw, taking office with a divided parliament in which opposition parties could delay legislation. Frustrated by the stalled legislative process, Fukuda resigned in 2008 after less than a year in office.

A graduate in economics from Tokyo's Waseda University, Fukuda spent nearly two decades working his way up the ranks of an oil company, including a two-year posting in the United States, before resigning to become a political secretary when his father became premier in 1976. He was elected to Japan's more powerful lower house of parliament in 1990 and served as chief cabinet secretary from 2000 to 2004.

Known as a diplomatic dove, Fukuda made several visits to China after leaving office in an effort to improve the often fraught relations between the two countries, Reuters reported.

He is survived by his son, Tatsuo Fukuda, who is also a lawmaker and has been viewed as a potential future prime minister.