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Inejiro AsanumaJapanese politician
Date of Birth: 22.12.1898
Country:  Japan |
Content:
Early Life and Activism
Ichirō Asanuma, a Japanese politician, emerged as a significant figure in the country's political landscape. He actively participated in the labor movement during his student years at Waseda University.
Political Career
Asanuma's political career began in 1936 when he was elected to Parliament. However, he withdrew from politics during the period 1942-1945. He later became the Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Japan Socialist Party (SP) from 1948-1951. After a brief hiatus, he served as the Secretary-General of the Right SP from 1951-1955. In 1960, he became the Chairman of the Central Committee of the reunified SP.
Controversial Stance
Asanuma was known for his vocal criticism of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party and the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. During a speech in Beijing in 1959, he referred to the US as a common enemy of both the Chinese and Japanese peoples.
Assassination
On October 12, 1960, while participating in a political debate in Tokyo, Asanuma was fatally stabbed by a 17-year-old university student named Otoya Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi managed to strike him multiple times before he was apprehended. Asanuma died en route to the hospital. Yamaguchi committed suicide in prison on November 2, 1960.
Legacy
The assassination of Asanuma shocked Japan and the international community. A photographer from the "Mainichi" newspaper captured the moment of the attack, earning him the distinction of becoming the first foreign photographer to receive a Pulitzer Prize for "spot news photography."
