Shigeru Yoshida was a big-name politician in Japan in the 1940s. He served as prime minister of Japan several times and was a diplomat in different countries.
Under his leadership as prime minister, Japan experienced economic growth and stability. He also expanded the industrial infrastructure of the country.
Get to know this Japanese diplomat and political fantastic Shigeru Yoshida. Check out these top 10 most outstanding realities about former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
1. Shigeru Yoshida was born in 1878
Shigeru Yoshida and his grandchildren, Photo by Taro Aso(Shigeru’s grandson)-
Yoshida’s birthplace was in Tokyo’s Kanda-Surugadai on 22 September 1878. His father Takeuchi Tuna, was a political activist allied with the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement. There is little known about Shigeru’s biological mother.
2. Yoshida Shigeru’s foster parents took him in 1881
Shigeru Yoshida-
At the time Shigeru was born his father was arrested for anti-government conspiracy. His father’s friend Kenzō Yoshida together with his wife Kotoko adopted Shigeru beginning in August 1881.
Kenzō was a successful trade merchant and held a managerial position in a Hong Kong multinationals in Japan. Kenzo’s wife Kotoko was triumphant and the daughter of a scholar of the Edo period of Japan.
3. Shigeru Yoshida became prime minister of Japan 5 times
President John F. Kennedy Meets with Former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida of Japan, Photo by Abbie Rowe-
Yoshida served as the 45th prime minister of Japan from 22 May 1946. He left office but made a return to the same position on 15 October 1948 as the 48th prime minister.
While prime minister, Shigeru steered Japan’s economic and industrial growth. This record increased his political fame and saw him retained in three succeeding elections.
He was appointed on 16 February 1949 as Japan’s 49th prime minister. He went on the office as the 50th from 30 October 1952 and 51st starting 21 May 1953.
4. He schooled in an elite institution
Shigeru Yoshida started his schooling in a rural boarding school graduating from elementary school in 1889. He completed secondary school in 1894. Afterward, he joined junior high school until 1895.
Yoshida enrolled for business studies at a crown prince’s ethics academy. He also attended Keio University and the Tokyo Physics School which is today’s Tokyo University of Science.
Shigeru joined Peers’ School, in 1897. This was a prestigious center run by a celebrated Japanese politician and journalist Duke Konoe Atsumaro.
Peers’ School prepared the high society people for public service. Yoshida proceeded to a diplomat college under the same administration as Peers’ School. He later went to Tokyo Imperial University, where he graduated in 1906 with a law degree.
5. Shigeru Yoshida’s first career was in foreign relations
Yoshida took the Foreign Service Entry Exam immediately after his university studies. He passed the test and joined the Foreign Ministry under the role of Japan’s diplomatic corps.
6. Yoshida Shigeru served in over 5 countries as a diplomat
Yoshida as he signed San Francisco Peace Treaty-
Shigeru began his first assignment on the Japanese mission in Tianjin, China in November 1906. He went to serve in Italy, South Korea, and the Japanese embassy in the United States, in the next years.
Yoshida became the first secretary to the Japanese embassy in the United Kingdom in 1920. He was part of the Japanese legation at the 鶹APP Peace Conference.
He rose to become deputy foreign minister in 1928 and was in office until 1930. Before holding the office he had served as minister to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for a short time in 1928. Yoshida retired from the diplomatic service in 1938.
7. The Japanese Army opposed his appointment as foreign minister
Shigeru Yoshida was among those proposed for the position of foreign minister in the Hirota cabinet in 1936. The army ruled out his consideration for the office.
These events were the aftermath of an attempted coup d’état by the Imperial Japanese Army. An incident in Japan’s history known as the February 26 Incident happened in 1936.
The insurgents at the time held control of the nation. So they rejected the proposal to have Shigeru Yoshida as foreign minister. Shigeru was instead appointed ambassador to Italy and later to the United Kingdom from 1936 until 1938.
8. Shigeru Yoshida arrest came in 1945
Yoshida sought peace during World War II and before the start of the Pacific War. He allied with Japan’s Prince Fumimaro Konoe.
His ambition was to get the government to reach a consensus with the allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Shigeru’s arrest happened in 1945 for seeking peace and his close dealings with Prince Konoe on the same matter.
9. Yoshida Shigeru married in nobility
Shigeru married Makino Yukiko in 1909. Yukiko was the eldest daughter of Japanese politician and imperial court official Makino Nobuak.
Yukiko and Yoshida had four children together. Their names Sakurako, Kenichi, Kazuko, and Masao. Their generations also joined Japan’s political arena.
Some of Yoshida’s grandchildren have ascended to prominent political roles, Tarō Asō is a perfect example. He was the 92nd prime minister of Japan starting in 2008 up to 2009.
Nobuko Asō is a granddaughter of Yoshida who has had a significant fortune in the politics of Japan. She is the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. Hence a member of the Japanese Imperial Family.
10. Shigeru Yoshida died in 1967
Yoshida died on 20 October 1967. He concealed his Roman Catholic religion for most of his life. He received baptism in the same faith on his deathbed. After his passing on, the St. Mary’s Cathedral, Tokyo hosted his funeral service.
The Yoshida Doctrine is one of the legacies of Shigeru Yoshida. It was a strategy adopted by Shigeru starting in 1951. The approach focused on rebuilding Japan’s domestic economy with dependence on a security alliance with the United States.
This saw Japan join the U.S. in the Cold War against communism. Japan limited the strength of its defense forces to the least and increased its reliance on the American military. Japan majored in economic diplomacy in its global dealings.
This principle whose name was coined in 1977(Yoshida Doctrine) was applauded by some historians as a successful and wise plan. But critics hold the view that it was a naive and inappropriate precept. The plan formed the foundation of the foreign policy of Japan into the 21st century.
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Nellian has been passionate about entertainment and television since she was a little girl. She recalls being glued to the TV, watching Oprah Winfrey interview notable figures from various lifestyles. Oprah's storytelling skills and curiosity about people sparked something in Nellian. She aspired to follow her example, profiling famous personalities, destinations, and pop culture topics. This inspired her lifelong passion for storytelling to highlight notable people from different industries. She also writes about fascinating books, famous cities, popular TV shows, video games, and other topics, highlighting her versatility. Her hope is to ignite curiosity in others through her articles, just as Oprah did for her so many years ago.
Nellian has been passionate about entertainment and television since she was a little girl. She recalls being glued to the TV, watching Oprah Winfrey interview notable figures from various lifestyles. Oprah's storytelling skills and curiosity about people sparked something in Nellian. She aspired to follow her example, profiling famous personalities, destinations, and pop culture topics. This inspired her lifelong passion for storytelling to highlight notable people from different industries. She also writes about fascinating books, famous cities, popular TV shows, video games, and other topics, highlighting her versatility. Her hope is to ignite curiosity in others through her articles, just as Oprah did for her so many years ago.
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