, was an entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...

, serving eight terms as a member of the

Lower House A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

, and twice times as a cabinet minister. He also served twice in the post-war Lower House of the Diet.

Biography

Kanemitsu was born in

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kumam ...

. He served as a bureaucrat in the tax offices of

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

and

Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

before he was hired by the ''

zaibatsu is a Japanese language, Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertical integration, vertically integrated business conglomerate (company), conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over signi ...

,'' Suzuki Shōten in 1908. In 1913, he transferred to Taishō Life Insurance Company, and became its president. In addition, he was on the board of directors for the Nipponkōa Insurance Company. Kanemitsu was subsequently also president of Ōji Electric Tram Company and Vice-Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His political career began in 1920 General Election, when he was elected to a seat in the

of the

under the ''

Rikken Seiyūkai The was one of the main political parties in the pre-war Empire of Japan. It was also known simply as the ''Seiyūkai''. Founded on September 15, 1900, by Itō Hirobumi,David S. Spencer, "Some Thoughts on the Political Development of the Japane ...

'' political party. He was subsequently re-elected a total of nine times from the same district. In 1937, he was Vice-Speaker of the House. In 1939, Kanemitsu was appointed as Minister of Colonial Affairs under the Abe administration. The same year, he formed his own political faction (together with

Takeru Inukai was a Japanese politician and novelist active in Shōwa period Japan. Also known as "Inukai Ken", he was the third son of Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi. Biography Inukai was born in the Ushigome district of Tokyo. Although accepted ...

), supporting

Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a Japanese politician and prime minister. During his tenure, he presided over the Japanese invasion of China in 1937 and the breakdown in relations with the United States, which ultimately culminated in Japan's entry into World W ...

's ''Shintaisei'' movement, and facilitated meetings with General

Akira Mutō was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He was convicted of Japanese war crimes, war crimes and was executed by hanging. Mutō was implicated in both the Nanjing Massacre and the Manila massacre. Biography Mutō was a ...

of the

Imperial Japanese Army General Staff The , also called the Army General Staff, was one of the two principal agencies charged with overseeing the Imperial Japanese Army. Role The was created in April 1872, along with the Navy Ministry, to replace the Ministry of Military Affairs ...

to ensure military support for the movement. In September 1940, under the 2nd Konoe administration, Kanemitsu was appointed Minister of Welfare. He subsequently served as chairman of policy research and in other posts within the ''

Taisei Yokusankai The , or Imperial Aid Association, was the Empire of Japan's ruling organization during much of World War II. It was created by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on 12 October 1940, to promote the goals of his ("New Order") movement. It evolved i ...

.'' Following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Kanemitsu joined the ''Nihon Shimpotō'' political party, but was unable to run for office as he had been

purge In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertak ...

d by the

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milita ...

along with all other government officials and ranking members of the ''Taisei Yokusankai,'' so he had his son run in his place. He was able to resume his seat in the Lower House following the 1953 General Election after the end of the

occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

as a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. Kanemitsu died in 1955. His grave is at the Tama Reien Cemetery in

Fuchū, Tokyo 260px, Fuchū City Hall is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Fuchū serves as a regional commercial center and a commuter town for workers in central Tokyo. The city hosts large scale manufacturing facilities for Toshiba, NEC a ...

.Tama Cemetery official home page
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanemitsu, Tsuneo 1877 births 1955 deaths People from Ōita Prefecture Members of the House of Representatives (Empire of Japan) Government ministers of Japan Rikken Seiyūkai politicians Imperial Rule Assistance Association politicians Liberal Party (Japan, 1945) politicians Members of the House of Representatives (Japan)