Hayato Ikeda
| Hayato Ikeda 池田 勇人 |
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| Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 19 July 1960 – 9 November 1964 |
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| Monarch | Shōwa |
| Preceded by | Nobusuke Kishi |
| Succeeded by | Eisaku Satō |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 December 1899 Takehara, Japan |
| Died | 13 August 1965 (aged 65) Tokyo, Japan |
| Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Signature |  |
Hayato Ikeda (池田 勇人 Ikeda Hayato, 3 December 1899 – 13 August 1965) was a Japanese politician and the 58th, 59th and 60th Prime Minister of Japan from 19 July 1960 to 9 November 1964.
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Early life [edit]
Ikeda was born in Takehara, Hiroshima on 3 December 1899.
Career [edit]
Ikeda was part of liberals established the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).[1] In terms of political orientation, he was a student of the Yoshida school.[2] Along with Eisaku Satō, Ikeda was an understudy of Shigeru Yoshida earlier in life, and was called an "honor student" for his commitment to the ideas presented in the Yoshida Doctrine, although he was a strong personality himself. His 1952 resignation as Minister of International Trade and Industry was the result of a blunt remark in the Diet that "it makes no difference to me if five or ten small businessmen are forced to commit suicide," after Ikeda's policies favoring heavy industry were imposed.
After death of Ichiro Hatoyama, the first head of the LDP, in 1956, Ikeda ran for the leadership of the party.[1]
Ikeda became prime minister in 1960 shortly after the crisis of security treaty with China.[2] In domestic policy, statutory minimum wages were introduced in 1959,[3] while major initiatives were made in social security. A universal national pension scheme was established in 1961,[4] together with a system of universal health insurance.[5] The Physically Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Law was passed in 1960 to promote the employment of people with physical disabilities through the creation of an employment quota system in Japan, an on-the -job adjustment scheme, and a financial assistance system in addition to offering vocational guidance and placement services through approximately 600 Public Employment Security Offices (PESO) and their branch offices.[6] In addition, the 1963 Welfare Law for the Aged provided funding for respite care, home care, homes for the aged, and other services paid by taxes collected through local and central governments.[7]
As prime minister, Ikeda advocated the "income-doubling plan" and "politics of patience and reconciliation," respectively emphasizing economic development of Japan while minimizing societal conflict. He was noted for resolution of several major labor disputes, including a long-running strike at Miike Mine of Mitsui Mining Company (the resolution of this strike was in fact the first act of the Ikeda cabinet.). Takafusa Nakamura, a leading economic historian, described Ikeda as "the single most important figure in Japan's rapid growth. He should long be remembered as the man who pulled together a national consensus for economic growth." His plan predicted a 7.2 percent growth rate (thereby doubling GNP over ten years), but by the second half of the 1960s, average growth had climbed to an astounding 11.6 percent. In addition, while Ikeda's "income-doubling plan" called for average personal incomes to double with ten years, this was actually achieved within seven years.[8] In 1960, then French president Charles De Gaulle famously referred to Ikeda as "that transistor salesman".
Ikeda headed one of the significant factions which occupies the left wing of the party.[9] As faction leader he was succeeded by Shigesaburo Maeo, Masayoshi Ohira, Kiichi Miyazawa, Koichi Kato, and Mitsuo Horiuchi.[9]
Honours [edit]
From the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (13 August 1965; posthumous)
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b Kohno, Masaru (April 1992). "Rational Foundations for the Organization of the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan". World Politics 40: 369–392. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ a b Qingxin Ken Wang (2000). Hegemonic Cooperation and Conflict: Postwar Japan's China Policy and the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-275-96314-9. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Tadashi A. Hanami; Fumito Komiya (4 February 2011). Iel Labour Law in Japan. Kluwer Law International. p. 114. ISBN 978-90-411-3456-1. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ The Japan of Today, Published in 1989 by The International Society for Educational Information, Inc.
- ^ Kobayashi, Yasuki (July-August 2009). "Five Decades of Universal Health Insurance Coverage in Japan: Lessons and future challenges". JMAJ 52 (4): 263–268. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/asia/resource/apdrj/z13jo0100/z13jo0106.html
- ^ http://www.centerltc.com/pubs/Articles/ltcjapan.pdf
- ^ Contemporary Japan by Duncan McCargo
- ^ a b Kitaoka, Shin’ichi (January 2004). "Japan’s Dysfunctional Democracy". Asia Program Special Report 117: 6–8. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nobusuke Kishi |
Prime Minister of Japan 1960–1964 |
Succeeded by Eisaku Satō |
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