Ichirō Kōno

was a postwar Japanese politician and a member of the National Diet. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was the head of the powerful "Konō Faction" within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. Konō aspired to become prime minister, but although he held a large number of important party and cabinet positions, reflecting his power and influence, he was not able to rise to the premiership before his death in 1965.

Elected to represent a portion of Kanagawa prefecture, Konō also exercised a powerful influence over his home prefecture, to such an extent that Kanagawa came to be nicknamed "Konō's Kingdom" (河野王国, ''Konō ōkoku).

Early life

Konō was born in 1898 to a wealthy farming family in Toyokawa village, Ashigarashimo district, Kanagawa Prefecture (now Naruda Ward, Odawara City). His father, Jihei Konō, served successively as mayor of Toyokawa village, a member of the district council, and chairman of the Kanagawa prefectural assembly. Ichirō would later inherit many of his father's connections as he built up his own powerful political faction.

Groomed for a life in politics from a young age, Konō graduated with a degree in political science from Waseda University, where he also competed in track and field. After graduation, Konō worked for the ''Asahi Shimbun'' newspaper before entering electoral politics.

Konō was first elected to the National Diet in 1932, and represented the Rikken Seiyūkai party. In the 1942 election, following the forced dissolution of all political parties except for a single national party called the Imperial Rule Assistance Association (IRAA), Konō ran for reelection as a "non-recommended candidate," meaning he was not recommended by the IRAA. However, Konō's base of power in Kanagawa was too strong and he easily won reelection. After winning the election, Konō immediately joined the IRAA.

Postwar power broker

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Konō was purged as a wartime leader by the US military occupation of Japan. Depurged in 1951 as part of the Reverse Course, Konō helped Ichirō Hatoyama found the Liberal Party, which later merged with the Democratic Party in 1955 to become the Liberal Democratic Party.

In 1956, Konō founded a "study group" called the "Spring and Autumn Society" (春秋会, ''Shunjūkai''), which became the basis of his powerful personal faction in the Diet. Thereafter, Konō routinely contended for the premiership in LDP party elections, and held a number of party and cabinet posts, including Director of the Economic Planning Agency (1957-1958), Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (1961-1962), Minister of Construction (1962-1964), and Minister of State in charge of planning the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (1964-1965).

During the 1960 Anpo Protests against renewal of the US-Japan Security Treaty, Konō opposed prime minister Nobusuke Kishi's handling of the situation. During the May 19 Incident, when Kishi called for a surprise vote on the revised treaty without informing rival factions in his own party, Konō deliberately absented himself and his faction from the vote in a show of protest. Thereafter, Konō devoted himself to bringing down the Kishi cabinet as soon as possible. As punishment for his rebellion, Konō was entirely excluded from the first cabinet of Kishi's successor Hayato Ikeda. In August 1960, Konō threatened to bring down 1955 System by bolting the Liberal Democratic Party along with his faction and other allied factions, but was at length convinced to remain, and was eventually brought back into the cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in 1961.

In the aftermath of the Anpo Protests, a wave of right-wing violence against major political figures was unleashed in Japan, and as part of this wave, police uncovered a plot to assassinate Konō in 1963.

Over the years, Konō had developed a reputation as an energetic and prudent cabinet minister across a number of different cabinets. Accordingly, in 1964 Prime Minister Ikeda tasked Konō with the crucial task of overseeing the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The Olympics were hailed by the Japanese media and around the world as a great success, winning Konō praise for his effective management.

When Ikeda was forced to resign due to laryngeal cancer which ultimately proved fatal, Konō was a leading candidate to succeed Ikeda as prime minister, along with Kishi's younger brother Eisaku Satō. However, out of respect for Ikeda's dying wish that Satō succeed him, Konō declined to run for party president and instead supported Satō's ascension to the premiership. Konō was rewarded with posts in the Satō cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sports in charge of physical education.

Konō died suddenly on July 8, 1965 of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. After Konō's death, leadership of Konō's powerful faction was inherited by faction member Yasuhiro Nakasone.

Legacy

Konō was the founding member of a political dynasty in Japanese politics which later featured his younger brother Kenzō Kōno, his second son Yōhei Kōno, and his grandson (and Yohei's son) Tarō Kōno.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kono, Ichiro
1898 births
1965 deaths
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers
People from Kanagawa Prefecture
Waseda University alumni
Members of the House of Representatives (Empire of Japan)
Members of the House of Representatives (Japan)
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians
Politicians from Kanagawa Prefecture