I first met Takeo Miki in 1971, the year Japan was being rocked by two Nixon "shocks": the announcement of the U.S. president's visit to China and the suspension of the dollar's convertibility to gold.

From right: Takeo Miki, Curtis, Curtis's wife Midori, and Masao Kunihiro at Miki's villa.
Getting to know the man who would become prime minister on his own terms