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Nobusuke KishiStatesman and political figure
Date of Birth: 13.11.1896
Country:  Japan |
Content:
- Nobusuke Kishi: Japan's 37th Prime Minister
- Education and Career
- Suspected War Criminals and Political Career
- Prime Ministership
- Domestic Reforms and International Relations:
- - Visits to Western Europe and Latin America
- Resignation and Legacy
Nobusuke Kishi: Japan's 37th Prime Minister
Early Life and FamilyNobusuke Kishi, born Nobusuke Sato, was born in Tabuse, Yamaguchi Prefecture on November 13, 1896. His father, Hidesuke Sato, was a former government official and amateur poet. As a child, Kishi separated from his family and lived with the wealthy Kishi family, adopting their surname upon his marriage. His biological brother, Eisaku Sato, later became Prime Minister of Japan and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. Another brother, Ichiro Sato, became a Vice Admiral.
Education and Career
Kishi graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1920 and joined the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In 1935, he became a key figure in the industrial development of Manchukuo. In October 1941, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, a fellow veteran of the Manchurian campaign, appointed Kishi as Minister of Commerce and Industry, a position he held until October 1943. From October 1944 to Japan's surrender in 1945, he served as Minister of State.
Suspected War Criminals and Political Career
Kishi was suspected of war crimes and detained as a Class A suspect until 1948. However, he was not charged at the Tokyo Trials. Despite being cleared, Kishi faced a purge by the Allied occupation authorities and was banned from holding public office. He spent several years in business.
In 1952, following the lifting of restrictions, Kishi returned to politics. In 1953, he was elected to the Japanese Parliament as a member of the Liberal Party. He later joined the newly formed Democratic Party and served as its Secretary-General, facilitating the merger of the Liberal and Democratic Parties.
In 1955, the Democratic and Liberal Parties merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, with Ichiro Hatoyama as its leader. Kishi subsequently served as Foreign Minister in Tanzan Ishibashi's cabinet. After Ishibashi suffered a stroke and became incapacitated, Kishi acted as Prime Minister from January 31, 1957. In February, Ishibashi resigned, and Kishi was elected as the new Prime Minister.
Prime Ministership
Kishi pursued a pro-American foreign policy during his premiership. This policy aimed to mitigate tensions with the United States, which had been strained under Hatoyama's more assertive stance, and to return to the economically productive Yoshida Doctrine.
Domestic Reforms and International Relations:
- Japan joined the United Nations Security Council- Reparations were paid to Indonesia
- New trade agreement with Australia
- Peace treaties with Czechoslovakia and Poland
- Enhanced relations with Asian countries (including the establishment of the Asian Development Bank)
- Visits to Western Europe and Latin America
1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and SecurityIn 1957, Kishi visited Washington, D.C., and secured a U.S. commitment to create a special committee to review a new security treaty and reduce American troop presence in Japan. In January 1960, Kishi returned to Washington to sign the new treaty. He also initiated a constitutional revision project to grant Japan the right to a full-fledged military.
The protests against the treaty's ratification became the largest social and political movement in post-war Japan. Police clashed with protestors on the steps of the National Parliament after the LDP ratified the treaty by invoking its parliamentary majority and suspending opposition members.
Kishi initially downplayed the demonstrations, calling them "petty" and "insignificant." However, the protests intensified, and an American presidential visit planned for the summer of 1960 was canceled.
Resignation and Legacy
On June 23, 1960, the exchange of ratification notes between the U.S. and Japan completed the treaty's implementation. The Kishi cabinet resigned shortly after.
Following his resignation, Kishi remained an active and influential member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Despite the failure of his constitutional amendment on armed forces, he initiated a reinterpretation of the Self-Defense Forces law to grant them greater latitude.
Kishi's son-in-law, Shintaro Abe, and grandson, Shinzo Abe (90th Prime Minister), are both descendants of the former Prime Minister.
