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Top 10 Facts about Eisaku Sat艒

Eisaku Sat艒 was inaugurated as Prime Minister on November 9, 1964.

Eisaku Sat艒 was born on 27th March 1901, in Tabuse, Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan. He was the third son of businessman Hidesuke Sat艒 and Moyo.

The family of Eisaku used to deal in sake brewing after his father quit his job at the Prefectural Office. Eisaku was a great Japanese politician who also served as the Prime minister from 1964 to 1972.

He was ranked as the second-longest uninterrupted Japanese Prime Minister. He was also the third longest-serving Prime Minister.

Sat艒 graduated from University and entered politics in 1949. He gradual rose through various seats in Japanese politics until he became the Prime minister.

His major achievements were presiding over the rapid economic growth of the country.

He also arranged for the formal return of Okinawa. The island was previously occupied by the United States since the end of the Second World War.

Eisaku also successfully brought Japan into the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974.

Here are the ten facts about Eisaku Sat艒:

1. Studied German Law and Passed Senior Civil Service Examinations

Photo of former Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos with Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sat艒. Date: 18 October 1967.

The family of Eisaku Sat艒 was renowned for their seriousness in their studies which he was successful in.

Eisaku joined the Tokyo Imperial University where he studied German Law. In 1923, Eisaku Sat艒 successful passed the senior civil service examinations.

After he graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University, Eisaku Sat艒 became a civil servant the following year. He served as the director of the Osaka Railways Bureau from 1944 to 1946, and vice-minister for transport from 1947 to 1948.

2. Eisaku Sat艒 Became First Japanese Prime Minister Born in the 20th Century

Eisaku Sat艒.

After completing his University education and working in various ministries, Eisaku Sat艒 entered the National Diet in 1949. In the fifteen years before he became Prime minister of Japan, Eisaku Sat艒 gradually rose through several ranks in Japanese politics.

He held a series of cabinet positions before succeeding Hayato Ikeda as the Prime minister in 1964. After his inauguration, Eisaku Sat艒 became the first Prime Minister of Japan to be born in the 20th century.

3. Received Nobel Peace Prize One Year Before His Death

Young Eisaku Sat艒.

His deeds during his era as the Prime Minister of Japan earned him several regard across the world. Eisaku Sat艒 presided over rapid economic growth that was hailed by the Japanese.

He also made arrangements for the formal return of Okinawa, and the Ryukyu Islands which were preoccupied with the United States since the Second World War.

Eisaku Sat艒 also managed to get Japan into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. All these achievements by Eisaku Sat艒 earned him great recognition across the world.

In 1974, Eisaku Sato received the Nobel Peace Prize.

4. Sat艒 was the Third Longest Serving Japanese Prime Minister

Eisaku Sato at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

In 1964, Eisaku Sat艒 succeeded Ikeda who resigned from office due to ill health. Eisaku Sat艒 went ahead and became the Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972 making him the third longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan.

In the 1960s, Eisaku Sat艒 seemed to have single-handed control over the entire Japanese government. However, his leadership was positive because of the economic growth, and foreign policy that balanced the interests of the United States and China.

5. He Closed Tokyo University for a Year due to Massive Riots

As the Prime Minister of Japan, Eisaku Sat艒’s ties with the United States and China were strengthened, but not every Japanese was pleased.

Several student political radicalizations led to numerous protests due to Eisaku Sat艒鈥檚 support of the United States-Japan Security Treaty.

These protests turned out to be massive riots in Tokyo that did not end well. Eisaku Sat艒 ordered the closure of the prestigious Tokyo University for one year in 1969 until there was calm.

6. Sat艒 Introduced the Three Non-Nuclear Principles

President Nixon and Prime Minister Eisaku Sato of Japan at San Clemente, 01/05/1972.

After the United States declined Eisaku Sat艒 from getting Japan to have nuclear weapons like China, major changes were made in the country. Among them was the introduction of the Three Non-Nuclear principles that were put in place on 11th December 1967.

The Three Non-Nuclear Principles meant that; non-production, non-introduction and non-possession of nuclear weapons. These principles led to the adoption of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that the Diet passed in 1971.

7. Eisaku Openly Asked US President to Return Okinawa to Japan

President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon Hosting a Formal Dinner in Honor of Former Prime Minister of Japan and Mrs Eisaku Sato.

After the end of the Second World War, the United States had been occupying the Okinawa area that belonged to Japan. In January 1965, Eisaku Sat艒 visited the United States and met with President Lyndon Johnson.

During their meeting, Eisaku Sat艒 openly asked President Lyndon Johnson to return Okinawa to Japan. He, later on, visited Okinawa and became the first post-war Japanese Prime Minister to tour this area.

In 1969, Sat艒 had an agreement with United States President Richard Nixon to repatriate Okinawa.

8. Sat艒 Shared the Nobel Peace Prize

One year before his death, Eisaku Sat艒 was given the Nobel Peace Prize for several peace accomplishments in Japan. Rather than have it solely, Eisaku Sat艒 shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Sean MacBride in 1974.

Sat艒 was the first Asian to be given and accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Sean MacBride was an Irish Clann na Poblachta who served as the Minister for External Affairs.

9. He Married His Close Cousin

The Sat艒 Family.

In 1926, Eisaku Sat艒 married Hiroko Matsuoka and had two sons; Ryutaro and Shinji. The wife of Eisaku Sat艒 was his cousin. Hiroko鈥檚 father was the paternal father of Eisaku Sat艒.

Hiroko was raised by her maternal uncle Yosuke Matsouka after her father passed on, which got her to meet up and get married to Eisaku Sat艒.

10. Death of Eisaku Sat艒

Eisaku Sat艒 enjoyed good health until later in his life when he started deteriorating. On 19th May 1975, Sat艒 suffered a massive stroke that got him into a coma while in a restaurant.

Sat艒, later on, died on 3rd June of the same year at the Jikei University Medical Centre. He was 74 years old at the time of his death. He was cremated and his ashes buried at the family cemetery at Tabuse after a public funeral.

The legacy of Eisaku Sat艒 will always remain among the Japanese and people who knew him across the world.