Former Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda, who led efforts to resolve the 1996-1997 hostage standoff at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Peru, died of rectal cancer early Wednesday morning at a Tokyo hospital, his family said. He was 66.
Ikeda, a House of Representatives member of the Liberal Democratic Party, served as foreign minister from January 1996 to September 1997 under Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.
Leftist guerrillas from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement stormed a reception at the residence on Dec. 17, 1996, taking Japanese diplomats and guests hostage. Two days later, Ikeda held a meeting with then Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in Lima, where they agreed to try to resolve the crisis by giving priority to the hostages' safety.