was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as

President of the House of Councillors The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors, the upper house of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Japan), Speaker of the House of Representatives, the president is also the head of the Governme ...

from 1949 to 1953. He was a career diplomat who served as ambassador to Belgium and France in the 1930s. He briefly served as foreign minister under Prime Minister Senjuro Hayashi in 1937. He then served as ambassador to Italy and later to the Soviet Union, holding the latter position during most of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war he was elected to the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

and served as its president.

Early life and education

Naotake Satō was born on 30 October 1882, in Osaka. He graduated from the in 1904, attended the consul course of the same institute, and finished studying there in 1905. That same year he passed the Foreign Service exam and started to work at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

Career

After serving as Mukden Consul General and executive secretary of the

London Naval Treaty The London Naval Treaty, officially the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament, was an agreement between the United Kingdom, Empire of Japan, Japan, French Third Republic, France, Kingdom of Italy, Italy, and the United Stat ...

, he served as Imperial Japan's Ambassador to

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

in 1930 and to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1933. He became

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

( Senjūrō Hayashi Cabinet) in March 1937, and resigned in June 1937, then was assigned as adviser to the

. He was ambassador to Italy in 1940. He served from 1942 as the last Imperial Japanese Ambassador to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

before the

Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation or simply the Manchurian Operation () and sometimes Operation August Storm, began on 9 August 1945 with the Soviet Union, Soviet invasion of the Emp ...

, upon the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shigenori Tōgō. As Minister, he worked hard to avert war at the Imperial Diet. One of his missions as Japan's Ambassador to the USSR was to seek peace with the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

through the assistance of the Soviets due to

Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact The , also known as the , was a non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan signed on April 13, 1941, two years after the conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese Border War. The agreement meant that for most of World War II, ...

. However, Satō judged and reported to Tokyo that it was unlikely that the Soviets would assist Japan, because it was highly likely that Japan would lose the war, and urged an end to the war as early as possible. On 8 August 1945, he was invited to the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

by the Soviet Foreign Minister,

Vyacheslav Molotov Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov (; – 8 November 1986) was a Soviet politician, diplomat, and revolutionary who was a leading figure in the government of the Soviet Union from the 1920s to the 1950s, as one of Joseph Stalin's closest allies. ...

, and received the Soviet

declaration of war A declaration of war is a formal act by which one state announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech act (or the public signing of a document) by an authorized party of a national gov ...

against Imperial Japan. After the war, he was elected to the

of the National Diet of Japan in 1947, and served as a

from 1949 to 1953.List of President on the Web site of House of Councillors in Japanese
/ref> He died on 18 December 1971, in Tokyo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sato, Naotake 1882 births 1971 deaths Politicians from Osaka Prefecture Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Ministers for foreign affairs of Japan Hitotsubashi University alumni Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers Ambassadors of Japan to the Soviet Union Ambassadors of Japan to Italy Ambassadors of Japan to Belgium Ambassadors of Japan to France Presidents of the House of Councillors (Japan)