was a Japanese diplomat of the 20th century.

Diplomatic and political career

The son of Lord

Matsudaira Katamori Matsudaira Katamori after the Meiji restoration was a samurai who lived in Bakumatsu period and the early to mid Meiji period Japan. He was the 9th ''daimyō'' of the Aizu Domain and the Kyoto Shugoshoku (Military Commissioner of Kyoto). He in ...

Aizu is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princip ...

, Tsuneo served as Japanese Ambassador to the United States. In 1929–1935 served as Ambassador to Britain, and in that capacity represented his country at the London Conference on Naval Armaments in 1930. During that conference, he was convinced to accept the ratio in ships which appeared humiliating to the Japanese government through the persuasion efforts of one of the US delegates, Senator

David A. Reed David Aiken Reed (December 21, 1880February 10, 1953) was an American lawyer and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1922 to 1935. He was a co-author of the restr ...

, who in return agreed to grant the Japanese government better terms on non-combatant ships. In 1936–1945 served as head of the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

. His tenure as head of the

ended in resignation on June 4, 1945, after he took responsibility for part of the Imperial Palace burning in the American firebombing of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. During the last year of the war was among the Japanese leaders who acknowledged that the war was lost and suggested searching for early surrender. After the

Second World War 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 ...

, for a brief period in 1946, circles related to the Palace attempted to convince the Liberal Party leadership to promote Matsudaira's candidacy as Prime Minister, but the post was eventually handed to

Shigeru Yoshida (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-long ...

. Tsuneo served as the first chairman of the new

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, ...

from the entry into effect of the new Japanese constitution until his death.

Family

Tsuneo was also the father of Matsudaira Setsuko, the wife of

Prince Chichibu , was the second son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako), a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of several ...

and Matsudaira Ichiro, father of

Tokugawa Tsunenari is the present (18th generation) head of the main Tokugawa house. He is the son of Ichirō Matsudaira and Toyoko Tokugawa. His great-grandfather was the famed Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu and his paternal great-grandfather was Tokugawa Iesato. ...

the 18th Tokugawa Head Family.

Honors

''From the corresponding Japanese Wikipedia article''

Japanese decorations

*Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...

(31 May 1924; Second Class: 1 November 1920; Third Class: 28 June 1919) *Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

(11 April 1931; Fourth Class: 1 April 1916; Fifth Class: 24 August 1911; Sixth Class: 1 April 1906)

Works

* Matsudaira, Tsuneo. "Sports and Physical Training in Modern Japan," ''Transactions and Proceedings of the Japan Society'', London, 8 (1907/1909), 120

Ancestry

References

External links

* * Japanese Wiki article on Tsuneo Matsudaira
Timeline of Tsuneo's life
* Chichibu, Princess Setsuko. ''The Silver Drum.'' , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Matsudaira, Tsuneo 1877 births 1949 deaths Aizu-Matsudaira clan Ambassadors of Japan to the United Kingdom Ambassadors of Japan to the United States Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Politicians from Tokyo Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)