(22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as
prime minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Sta ...
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
Post-occupation Japan is the period in postwar Japanese history which started when the Allied occupation of Japan ended in 1952 and lasted to the end of the Showa era in 1989. Despite the massive devastation it suffered in the Second World War, ...
.
Early life and education
![Shigeru Yoshida](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Shigeru_Yoshida.jpg)
Yoshida was born on 22 September 1878, in
Kanda-Surugadai,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, the fifth son of political activist and former
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
Tsuna Takeuchi.
Tsuna was a devout supporter of
Itagaki Taisuke
Count was a Japanese politician. He was a leader of the "Freedom and People's Rights Movement" and founded Japan's first political party, the Liberal Party.
Biography
Early life
Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking ''samurai'' ...
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
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
, Tsuna and Kenzō had made a name amidst the decades of unrest around the time of
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
.
In August 1881, Yoshida was adopted by Kenzō Yoshida and his wife Kotoko. Kenzō was a wealthy trade merchant, former
Jardine Matheson
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (also known as Jardines) is a Hong Kong-based Bermuda-domiciled British multinational conglomerate. It has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and secondary listings on the Singapore Exchange and ...
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
branch manager and former samurai,
and Kotoko was the daughter of an
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
scholar.
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
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, and briefly studied at
Keio University and the Tokyo Physics School (now the
Tokyo University of Science
, formerly "Science University of Tokyo" or TUS, informally or simply is a private research university located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
History
Tokyo University of Science was founded in 1881 as The Tokyo Academy of Physics by 21 graduates ...
). 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
was a Japanese politician and journalist of the Meiji era. He served as the 3rd President of the House of Peers and 7th President of the Gakushūin Peer's School in Meiji period Japan. He was also the father of Prime Minister Fumimaro Kono ...
. 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
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
, 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
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
in the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
.
He has long been regarded as prioritising the economy over defense, but recent years have seen a reevaluation of this viewpoint.
Diplomatic career
Yoshida's diplomatic career began with a posting in
China, first at the Japanese mission in
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...
in November 1906, then in
Fengtian (now Shenyang) in 1907. In 1909, he was assigned to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, and in 1912, he was posted to
Andong in
Japanese-ruled Korea. In 1916, he was assigned to the Japanese embassy in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and in 1918 he was assigned to
Jinan, China. In 1919, he was a member of the Japanese legation at the
Paris Peace Conference. In 1920, he was named first secretary to the Japanese embassy in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. In 1922, he returned to China and served in Tianjin until 1925, then in Fengtian until 1928.
[
In 1928, he briefly served as minister to Sweden, ]Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, and Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
before being appointed deputy foreign minister that same year, serving until 1930. In 1930, after the army vetoed his appointment as foreign minister, he was appointed ambassador to Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, and in 1936, he became ambassador to the United Kingdom, serving until 1938. During the 1930s, he supported increasing Japanese influence in China, and advocated for the independence of Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
and Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
to weaken the Republic of China. After his ambassadorship to the United Kingdom ended in 1938, he retired from the diplomatic service.[
]
During World War II
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
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 opposing ...
, 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.[ 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.
]
Prime ministership
Following the Japanese surrender
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
in August 1945, the Allied occupation of the country began. In November 1945, the new 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 ...
was formed, and Yoshida joined it. The 1946 general election brought the Liberal Party to power. Its leader, Ichirō Hatoyama
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1954 to 1956. A conservative, Hatoyama helped oversee the 1955 merger of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party to create the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), of which Hatoy ...
, became prime minister, but Hatoyama was purged
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 ...
by the Allied occupation authorities soon afterwards, and Yoshida was appointed in his stead, becoming the 45th prime minister of Japan on 22 May 1946. His pro-American and pro-British ideals and his knowledge of Western societies, gained through education and political work abroad, are what made him the perfect candidate in the eyes of the occupation authorities.
After being replaced with Tetsu Katayama
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1947 to 1948. He bears the distinction of having been the first socialist to serve as Prime Minister of Japan.
Early life
He was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture on 28 July ...
on 24 May 1947, he returned to the post as the 48th prime minister on 15 October 1948. In 1951, he signed the Treaty of San Francisco
The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It w ...
, 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
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
on the way back from San Francisco, he also paid a visit to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
.
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.
He was retained in three succeeding elections (49th: 16 February 1949; 50th: 30 October 1952; and 51st: 21 May 1953).
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
was an Imperial Japanese Army officer and government official. During World War II, he alternately served as the chief of the Army General Staff's Operations Section and secretary to Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. After the war ended, he served as an ...
, who served as an Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
officer, and had the support of 500,000 Japanese.
Dissatisfaction with his leadership led to the defection of many Diet members from his party to the new Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, causing his cabinet to resign on December 7, 1954, rather than face a no-confidence vote. He was replaced by Ichirō Hatoyama
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1954 to 1956. A conservative, Hatoyama helped oversee the 1955 merger of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party to create the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), of which Hatoy ...
. on December 10, 1954. Yoshida remained in the Diet until his retirement in 1963.
The Yoshida Doctrine
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. First, Japan is firmly allied with the United States in the Cold War against communism. Second, Japan relies on American military strength and limits its own defense forces to a minimum. Third, 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
was a Japanese bureaucrat and later politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1960 to 1964. He is best known for his Income Doubling Plan, which promised to double Japan's GDP in ten years.
Ikeda is also known for repairing U.S.- ...
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.
Later years
Yoshida later became president of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA, in Japanese: 日本動物園水族館協会, ''Nihon Dōbutsu-en Suizokukan Kyōkai'' ) is an organisation for the zoo and aquarium community in Japan. As of April 30 2021, JAZA has 90 member zoo ...
.
He died in 1967. He was baptized on his deathbed, having hidden his Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
throughout most of his life. His funeral was held in St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo.
Personal life
In 1909, Yoshida married Makino Yukiko, the eldest daughter of Makino Nobuaki
Count was a Japanese politician and imperial court official. As Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan, Makino served as Emperor Hirohito’s chief counselor on the monarch’s position in Japanese society and policymaking. In this capacity, he ...
.[Lockhart, Charles: ''Protecting the Elderly: How Culture Shapes Social Policy''] They had four children: Sakurako, Kenichi, Kazuko, and Masao. Two of Yoshida's grandchildren are Tarō Asō
is a Japanese politician serving as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. Asō previously served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009 and as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance from 2 ...
, who served as the 92nd prime minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009, and Nobuko Asō, who later married Prince Tomohito of Mikasa
was a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest son of Takahito, Prince Mikasa and Yuriko, Princess Mikasa. He was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and was formerly sixth in the line of succession to the Japanese throne and the ...
, a first cousin of Emperor Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bo ...
.
Honours
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (29 April 1940)[''From the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia'']
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
Apart fr ...
(29 April 1964)
*Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
Apart fr ...
(20 October 1967; posthumous)
*Junior First Rank
The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...
(20 October 1967; posthumous)
*Golden Pheasant Award
The is the highest award for adult leaders in the Scout Association of Japan. It is awarded by the Chief Scout of Japan, awarded for eminent achievement and meritorious service to the Association for a period of at least twenty years. It may be ...
of the Scout Association of Japan
, headquarters = Hongō, Bunkyō, Tokyo
, country = Japan
, f-date = 1922
, members = 109,528 (2017)
, website = http://www.scout.or.jp
, affiliation = World Organization of the Scout Movement
, pattern_head1 = baseball cap
, color_hea ...
(1967)
Selected works
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).[WorldCat Identities]
Yoshida, Shigeru 1878–1967
/ref>
The most widely held works by Yoshida include:
* ''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.
* ''Japan's Decisive Century, 1867–1967;'' 1 edition published in 1967 in English and held by 650 libraries worldwide.
* ''Yoshida Shigeru: Last Meiji Man;'' 2 editions published in 2007 in English and held by 286 libraries worldwide.
* 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.
* 大磯隨想; 5 editions published between 1962 and 1991 in Japanese and held by 34 libraries worldwide.
* 吉田茂書翰; 2 editions published in 1994 in Japanese and held by 31 libraries worldwide.
* 世界と日本; 3 editions published between 1963 and 1992 in Japanese and held by 26 libraries worldwide.
* ''Japan im Wiederaufstieg; die Yoshida Memoiren'' ; 1 edition published in 1963 in German and held by 9 libraries worldwide.
Notes
References
* Rodan, Garry, Hewison, Kevin and Robison, Richard. (1997). ''The Political Economy of South-East Asia: An Introduction.'' Melbourne: Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
.
OCLC 464661946
* McGrew, Anthony and Christopher Book.'' (1998) ''Asia-Pacific in the New World Order.'' London: Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...
. ;
OCLC 60184921
* Shigeru Yoshida and Hiroshi Nara. (2007). ''Shigeru: Last Meiji Man.'' Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
OCLC 238440967
Further reading
* Dower
Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law. ...
, John W. ''Empire and Aftermath: Yoshida Shigeru and the Japanese Experience, 1878–1954.''
* Edström, Bert. ''Yoshida Shigeru and the Foundation of Japan's Postwar Foreign Policy.''
* Finn, Richard B. ''Winners in peace: MacArthur, Yoshida, and Postwar Japan.''
* Takashi Hirose ( 広瀬隆); 『私物国家 日本の黒幕の系図』 Tokyo:Kobunsha
Kobunsha ( ja, 光文社 ''Kōbunsha'') is a Japanese publishing company. It publishes literature, manga novels, and women's magazines.
Company history
Kobunsha was established on October 1, 1945, and belongs to the Kodansha group.
The company h ...
(1997) Genealogy14
* Iriye, Akira. "Japan Returns to the World: Yoshida Shigeru and His Legacy." ''The Diplomats, 1939-1979'' (Princeton University Press, 2019) pp. 321–336
online
*
External links
*
*
OSS Biographical Report on Yoshida dated January 1945
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoshida, Shigeru
1878 births
1967 deaths
20th-century prime ministers of Japan
Ambassadors of Japan to Italy
Ambassadors of Japan to the United Kingdom
Foreign ministers of Japan
Honorary Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Japanese anti-communists
Japanese prisoners and detainees
Japanese Roman Catholics
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians
Democratic Liberal Party (Japan) politicians
Liberal Party (Japan, 1945) politicians
Members of the House of Peers (Japan)
Members of the House of Representatives (Japan)
Prime Ministers of Japan
People from Kōchi Prefecture
People from Yokosuka, Kanagawa
People of the Korean War
Politicians from Tokyo
Prisoners and detainees of Japan
University of Tokyo alumni