Shigeru Yoshida

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Shigeru Yoshida
吉田 茂
Official portrait, 1946
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
15 October 1948 – 10 December 1954
MonarchHirohito
Governor
DeputyJōji Hayashi [jp]
Taketora Ogata
Preceded byHitoshi Ashida
Succeeded byIchirō Hatoyama
In office
22 May 1946 – 24 May 1947
MonarchHirohito
GovernorDouglas MacArthur
DeputyKijūrō Shidehara
Preceded byKijūrō Shidehara
Succeeded byTetsu Katayama
Member of the House of Representatives
for Kochi At-large District
In office
26 April 1947 – 23 October 1963
Member of the House of Peers
In office
19 December 1945 – 3 May 1947
Personal details
Born(1878-09-22)22 September 1878
Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Died20 October 1967(1967-10-20) (aged 89)
Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLiberal Democratic (1955–1967)
Other political
affiliations		Liberal (1945–1948)
Democratic Liberal (1948–1950)
Liberal (1950–1955)
Spouse
Yukiko Makino
​
​
(m. 1909; died 1941)​
Children4, including Ken'ichi
Relatives
Alma materUniversity of Tokyo
Signature

Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂, Yoshida Shigeru) (22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-longest serving prime minister of post-occupation Japan.[1]

Serving as Ambassador to the United Kingdom prior to WWII, Yoshida was part of Japan's peace faction opposing the escalation of tensions between Japan and the Allied powers. Following the war, Yoshida, alongside Douglas MacArthur, played a pivotal role in Japan's postwar recovery and the transformation of Japan into a democratic constitutional monarchy. He was praised by US President Richard Nixon as one of the greatest world leaders during his lifetime.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Yoshida as a child

Yoshida was born on 22 September 1878, in Kanda-Surugadai, Tokyo, the fifth son of political activist and former samurai Tsuna Takeuchi.[3][4] Tsuna was a devout supporter of Itagaki Taisuke and would later serve in the first National Diet in 1890. Yoshida's biological mother's identity is not known. Shortly before his birth, his biological father was arrested for anti-government conspiracy, and his mother gave birth to him at the house of Kenzō Yoshida, a friend of his father. As young samurai, Tsuna and Kenzō had made a name amidst the decades of unrest around the time of Meiji Restoration.[4] In August 1881, Yoshida was adopted by Kenzō Yoshida and his wife Kotoko. Kenzō was a wealthy trade merchant, former Jardine Matheson Yokohama branch manager and former samurai,[3] and Kotoko was the daughter of an Edo period Confucian scholar.[4]

Yoshida began his education in a rural boarding school. He graduated elementary school in 1889. That same year, Kenzō Yoshida died, and Shigeru inherited a substantial fortune from him. Kotoko subsequently raised Shigeru on the family's estate in Ōiso. Shigeru finished secondary school in 1894, and attended junior high school until 1895, after which he briefly attended business school. He attended an academy run by the crown prince's ethics tutor in Tokyo, and briefly studied at Keio University and the Tokyo Physics School (now the Tokyo University of Science). He also spent a year ill at home in Ōiso. In 1897, he entered the prestigious Peers' School, which prepared members of the elite for the public service, and was run by Duke Konoe Atsumaro. After completing his education there, Yoshida attended a college for diplomats also run by Duke Atsumaro. Shortly after Atsumaro's death in 1904, the college became defunct, and Yoshida then studied law at Tokyo Imperial University, graduating with a law degree in 1906. He passed the Foreign Service Entry Exam and entered Japan's diplomatic corps that same year, shortly after Japan's victory against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.[5] He has long been regarded as prioritising the economy over defense, but recent years have seen a reevaluation of this viewpoint.

Diplomatic career[edit]

Yoshida's diplomatic career began with a posting in China, first at the Japanese mission in Tianjin in November 1906, then in Fengtian (now Shenyang) in 1907. In 1909, he was assigned to Italy, and in 1912, he was posted to Andong in Japanese-ruled Korea, where he served concurrently as secretary to the Governor General Masatake Terauchi. When Terauchi was appointed Prime Minister in 1916, Yoshida turned down an offer to serve as his personal secretary. He was instead assigned to the Japanese embassy in the United States, but this appointment was cancelled when the Ministry became aware Yoshida had opposed the Twenty-One Demands, which he thought undermined the Japanese policy in China by alienating the Western powers and provoking Chinese opposition. Yoshida was instead made chief of the documents section the following year and in 1918 he was appointed consul in Jinan, China.[6]

In 1919, he was part of the Japanese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, as secretary to his father-in-law Nobuaki Makino, one of the Japanese plenipotentiaries. When the conference concluded in 1920, he was assigned as first secretary to the Japanese embassy in the United Kingdom. In 1922, he returned to China and served as consul in Tianjin until 1925, then as Consul General in Fengtian until 1928.[5][7]

In March 1928, Yoshida was first appointed minister to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, but before assuming the post he was appointed vice minister for foreign affairs in July of the same year, after having recommended himself to the Prime Minister Giichi Tanaka. Tanaka served concurrently as minister for foreign affairs. During this time, Yoshida supported increasing Japanese influence in China, and advocated for the independence of Manchuria and Mongolia to weaken the Republic of China. He acquainted Ichiro Hatoyama, who was chief cabinet secretary under Tanaka. Yoshida remained in his post when Tanaka was replaced as prime minister by Osachi Hamaguchi, and remained until he was appointed ambassador to Italy in December 1930. He returned to Japan in 1932 and, after having turned down the ambassadorship to the United States, for which he considered himself unsuitable, held a nebulous role as an ambassador without appointment. He undertook some foreign tours on behalf of the ministry and notably developed a warm relationship with the american ambassador Joseph Grew. Yoshida formally retired from the ministry in 1935.[8]

In the aftermath of the February 26 incident of 1936, Prince Fumimaro Konoe contacted Yoshida to request that he'd help persuade Koki Hirota accept the premiership. Yoshida assisted Hirota in the cabinet formation and was himself considered for the post of foreign minister. However, he was included on a list of potential cabinet ministers unacceptable to the army presented by the incoming War Minister Hisaichi Terauchi. This prevented his appointment. Instead he became ambassador to the United Kingdom.[9][7]

After his ambassadorship to the United Kingdom ended in 1938, he retired from the diplomatic service.[5]

During the Pacific War[edit]

Although considered a "hawk" on China, Yoshida was firmly against war with the United States and United Kingdom. Despite holding no official positions during World War II, he was active in trying to prevent war with the Allies, and then to try to bring about an early end of the war, allying himself with Prince Fumimaro Konoe.

Right before the Pacific War began, Yoshida joined Konoe in unsuccessfully attempting to deescalate the situation.[5] During the war, Yoshida continued to associate with Konoe in trying to get the government to negotiate a peace with the Allies. In April 1945, he was arrested and briefly imprisoned over his association with Prince Konoe.

Post-war period and premiership[edit]

Prime Minister Yoshida signs the US-Japan Security Treaty (1951)

Following the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the Allied occupation of the country began. Yoshida was brought out of retirement to serve as foreign minister in the cabinet of Prince Higashikuni after the resignation of Mamoru Shigemitsu. At that point, the main fuction of the foreign minister was to liaise with the occupation authority: the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. As such, Yoshida came into regular contact with General Douglas MacArthur. When Prince Higashikuni resigned Yoshida was approached by the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Koichi Kido to become prime minister, but he turned him down and suggested Kijuro Shidehara for the post, who was duly appointed. Yoshida remained foreign minister in the Shidehara Cabinet.[10]

The first post-war election in April 1946 brought a plurality of the seats in the Diet to the Liberal Party led by Yoshida's old friend Ichirō Hatoyama. While Hatoyama was expected to become prime minister, but was abruptly purged by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers on the eve of his appointment. Hatoyama approached Yoshida to take his place as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, despite Yoshida not even being a member of the party. Although reluctant, Yoshida eventually accepted, becoming prime minister of Japan on 22 May 1946. In the same month he joined the Liberal Party and was first made chairman of the general council before being formally elected party president four months later.[10]

First premiership[edit]

Yoshida's first cabinet was based on a coalition between the Liberal Party and the Japan Progressive Party led by former Prime Minister Shidehara. The cabinet notably included Shidehara as minister without portfolio and Tanzan Ishibashi as finance minister. Yoshida remained as foreign minister concurrently. The cabinet implemented several reforms based on occupation directives, the scope of which Yoshida personally resisted. Yoshida oversaw the adoption of the post-war Constitution of Japan, which was promulgated on 3 November 1946 and came into effect on 3 May 1947. Yoshida, a warm supporter of the imperial institution, did not believe that the revised constitution fundamentally changed the kokutai.[11][12]

In terms of economic policy, Yoshida and Finance Minister Ishibashi initiated a "priority production system" (傾斜生産方式, keisha seisan hoshiki) designed to increase production of steel and coal as they were essential for reconstruction. This system was based on the theories of Hiromi Arisawa, an economic expert who advised Yoshida.[13]

The cabinet had to face significant social unrest due to the impoverished situation and labour disputes at the time. These issues came to ahead when the labour movement called for a general strike to take place on 1 February 1947. Yoshida believed that the strike would be a economic catastrophe, which could create the conditions for a communist revolution. The situation was resolved when General MacArthur prohibited the strike before it could take place on January 31. Afterwards, MacArthur communicated to Yoshida that a new election should be called.[14][15]

Opposition and second premiership[edit]

The Japan Socialist Party won a plurality of the seats in the April 1947 election to the House of Representatives. After being replaced with Tetsu Katayama on 24 May 1947, Yoshida returned to the post of prime minister on 15 October 1948. He was retained in three succeeding elections (49th: 16 February 1949; 50th: 30 October 1952; and 51st: 21 May 1953). In 1951, he signed the Treaty of San Francisco, a peace treaty with the Allies that would serve as a formal peace agreement and bring about the end of the occupation of Japan in 1952. During a stopover in Hawaii on the way back from San Francisco, he also paid a visit to Pearl Harbor.[16]

Meeting with Ichirō Hatoyama

According to CIA files that were declassified in 2005, there was a 1952 plot to assassinate Yoshida and replace him with Ichirō Hatoyama as prime minister. The plot was led by Takushiro Hattori, who served as an Imperial Japanese Army officer, and had the support of 500,000 Japanese.[17]

Dissatisfaction with his leadership led to the defection of many Diet members from his party to the new Democratic Party, causing his cabinet to resign on December 7, 1954, rather than face a no-confidence vote. He was replaced by Ichirō Hatoyama. on December 10, 1954. Yoshida remained in the Diet until his retirement in 1963.

Yoshida Doctrine[edit]

The Yoshida Doctrine was a strategy adopted by Japan under Yoshida starting in 1951. He concentrated upon reconstructing Japan's domestic economy while relying heavily on the security alliance with the United States. Firstly, Japan is firmly allied with the United States in the Cold War against communism. Secondly, Japan relies on American military strength and limits its own defense forces to a minimum. Thirdly, Japan emphasizes economic diplomacy in its world affairs. The Yoshida doctrine was accepted by the United States; the actual term was coined in 1977. The economic dimension was fostered by Hayato Ikeda who served as his finance minister and later was prime minister. The Yoshida Doctrine shaped Japanese foreign policy into the 21st century. Most historians argue the policy was wise and successful, but a minority criticize it as naïve and inappropriate.[18]

Later years and legacy[edit]

Yoshida's grave in the Aoyama Cemetery

Yoshida later became president of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums.[19]

He died in 1967. He was baptized on his deathbed, having hidden his Catholicism throughout most of his life. His funeral was held in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo and buried at Aoyama Cemetery.

His state funeral was held in Nippon Budokan on 31 October 1967 in the presence of the Crown Prince and Princess.

Under Yoshida's leadership, Japan began to rebuild its lost industrial infrastructure and placed a premium on unrestrained economic growth. Many of these concepts still impact Japan's political and economic policies. However, since the 1970s environmental movement, the bursting of Japan's economic bubble, and the end of the Cold War, Japan has been struggling to redefine its national goals.

Personal life[edit]

In 1909, Yoshida married Makino Yukiko, the eldest daughter of Makino Nobuaki.[20] They had four children: Sakurako, Kenichi, Kazuko, and Masao. Two of Yoshida's grandchildren are Tarō Asō, who served as the 92nd prime minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009, and Nobuko Asō, who later married Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a first cousin of Emperor Akihito.

Honours[edit]

Selected works[edit]

Yoshida's published writings encompass 159 works in 307 publications in 6 languages; His work can be found in the collections of 5,754 libraries worldwide (as of 5 June 2001).[23]

The most widely held works by Yoshida include:

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
  • The Yoshida Memoirs: the Story of Japan in Crisis; 15 editions published between 1957 and 1983 in English and Japanese and held by 875 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • Japan's Decisive Century, 1867–1967; 1 edition published in 1967 in English and held by 650 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • Yoshida Shigeru: Last Meiji Man; 2 editions published in 2007 in English and held by 286 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • 日本を決定した百年; 7 editions published between 1967 and 2006 in 3 languages and held by 46 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • 大磯隨想; 5 editions published between 1962 and 1991 in Japanese and held by 34 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • 吉田茂書翰; 2 editions published in 1994 in Japanese and held by 31 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • 世界と日本; 3 editions published between 1963 and 1992 in Japanese and held by 26 libraries worldwide.[23]
  • Japan im Wiederaufstieg; die Yoshida Memoiren (in German); 1 edition published in 1963 in German and held by 9 libraries worldwide.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "連続在職日数、安倍首相2位に 第2次内閣から2248日（共同通信） - Yahoo!ニュース". Archived from the original on 2019-02-23. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  2. ^ Nixon, Richard (25 October 1982). Leaders. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-51249-7.
  3. ^ a b Jitsuroku shushō retsuden : Kuni o ninatta otokotachi no honkai to satetsu. 学習研究社. 2003. p. 98. ISBN 4-05-603151-7. OCLC 676126154.
  4. ^ a b c Yoshida Shigeru to sono jidai. Genji Ookubo, John W. Dower, 愿二大窪. 中央公論社. 1991. pp. 5, 6. ISBN 9784122018327. OCLC 1021037693.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ a b c d "Shigeru Yoshida".
  6. ^ Dower 1988, pp. 39–44.
  7. ^ a b Nish 2007, pp. 164.
  8. ^ Dower 1988, pp. 77–112.
  9. ^ Dower 1988, pp. 112–115.
  10. ^ a b Dower 1988, pp. 309–310.
  11. ^ Finn 1992, pp. 115.
  12. ^ Finn 1992, pp. 125.
  13. ^ Finn 1992, pp. 146.
  14. ^ Finn 1992, pp. 136.
  15. ^ Yoshida & Nara 2007, pp. 187.
  16. ^ "Japan ex-PM Yoshida's forgotten Pearl Harbor visit recounted". Associated Press. 26 December 2016.
  17. ^ "CIA Papers Reveal 1950s Japan Coup Plot". Associated Press. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  18. ^ Yoneyuki Sugita, "The Yoshida Doctrine as a myth." Japanese Journal of American Studies 27 (2016): 123-143 online.
  19. ^ Miller, Ian Jared, The Nature of the Beasts: Empire and Exhibition at the Tokyo Imperial Zoo, p. 187
  20. ^ Lockhart, Charles: Protecting the Elderly: How Culture Shapes Social Policy
  21. ^ a b c d From the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
  22. ^ 䝪䞊䜲䝇䜹䜴䝖日本連盟 きじ章受章者 [Recipient of the Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan] (PDF). Reinanzaka Scout Club (in Japanese). 2014-05-23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-08-11.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i WorldCat Identities: Yoshida, Shigeru 1878–1967

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
1945–1947 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Japan
1946–1947 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
1948–1952 		Succeeded by
Prime Minister of Japan
1948–1954 		Succeeded by
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