Kijūrō Shidehara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baron
Kijūrō Shidehara
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| 幣原 喜重郎 | |
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| Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 9 October 1945 – 22 May 1946 |
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| Monarch | Hirohito |
| Governor | Douglas MacArthur |
| Preceded by | Naruhiko Higashikuni |
| Succeeded by | Shigeru Yoshida |
| In office 14 November 1930 – 10 March 1931 Acting |
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| Monarch | Hirohito |
| Preceded by | Osachi Hamaguchi |
| Succeeded by | Osachi Hamaguchi |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 11 February 1949 – 10 March 1951 |
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| Monarch | Hirohito |
| Preceded by | Komakichi Matsuoka |
| Succeeded by | Joji Hayashi |
| Member of the House of Representatives for Osaka 3rd District |
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| In office 26 April 1947 – 10 March 1951 |
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| Member of the House of Peers | |
| In office 29 January 1926 – 25 April 1947 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 September 1872 Sakai, Nara Prefecture, Empire of Japan (nowadays Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, Japan) |
| Died | 10 March 1951 (aged 78) Tokyo, Allied-occupied Japan |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Signature |  |
Baron Kijūrō Shidehara (born 13 September 1872 – died 10 March 1951) was an important Japanese diplomat and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1945 to 1946. Shidehara was known for believing in pacifism, which means he wanted peaceful solutions and to avoid war. He was the last Japanese Prime Minister who belonged to the kazoku, a special group of noble families. His wife, Masako, was the daughter of Iwasaki Yatarō, who started the famous Mitsubishi company.
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Early Life and Career
Shidehara was born on 13 September 1872, in Kadoma, Osaka. He came from a wealthy farming family. He studied law at Tokyo Imperial University. After graduating, he joined the Foreign Ministry. In 1896, he was sent to Korea as a consul, which is like a diplomat.
In 1903, Shidehara married Masako Iwasaki. Her family founded the huge Mitsubishi company. This marriage made him related to Katō Takaaki, who also became a Prime Minister.
Shidehara worked in Japanese embassies in different cities. He served in London, Antwerp, and Washington D.C.. He was also the ambassador to the Netherlands. He returned to Japan in 1915.
Diplomatic Achievements
In 1915, Shidehara became the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held this important job for five governments in a row. In 1919, he became the ambassador to the United States. He was Japan's main negotiator at the Washington Naval Conference. During these talks, he helped return the Jiaozhou Bay concession to China. However, while he was ambassador, the United States passed laws that were unfair to Japanese immigrants. This caused a lot of bad feelings in Japan.
In 1920, Shidehara was given the title of danshaku, which means baron. This was part of the kazoku noble system. In 1925, he was appointed to the House of Peers, which was like an upper house of parliament.
First Term as Foreign Minister
In 1924, Shidehara became the Foreign Minister. He served under Prime Ministers Katō Takaaki, Wakatsuki Reijirō, and Osachi Hamaguchi. Even though Japan was becoming more militaristic, Shidehara tried to keep peace. He wanted Japan to avoid getting involved in China's internal problems. He also wanted to have good relationships with Great Britain and the United States.
In his first speech to the Diet of Japan (Japan's parliament), he promised to support the ideas of the League of Nations. This was an international organization that aimed to promote peace.
Shidehara Diplomacy
His approach to foreign policy during the 1920s became known as "Shidehara diplomacy." It was seen as a liberal and peaceful way of dealing with other countries. For example, in 1925, he supported China's request to control its own tariffs (taxes on goods). In 1927, during the Nanking Incident, he refused to join other foreign powers. They wanted to threaten China with military action after attacks on foreign buildings.
The military was unhappy with Shidehara's policies towards China. This was one reason why Prime Minister Wakatsuki's government fell in April 1927. Shidehara was known for speaking English very well. Once, when asked how to say his name, he joked, "I'm Hi(he)-dehara, and my wife is Shi(she)-dehara."
Second Term as Foreign Minister
Shidehara became Foreign Minister again in 1929. He immediately went back to his policy of not interfering in China. He tried to improve relations with Chiang Kai-shek's government in Nanjing. However, military leaders did not like this policy. They believed it made Japan weaker. This feeling grew stronger after the London Naval Conference 1930, which caused a big political problem in Japan.
When Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi was badly hurt in an assassination attempt, Shidehara served as temporary prime minister. This was until March 1931. In September 1931, the Kwantung Army invaded and took over Manchuria. They did this without permission from the government. This event ended Shidehara's peaceful policy towards China. It also ended his time as Foreign Minister.
In October 1931, Shidehara was featured on the cover of Time magazine. The caption called him "Japan's Man of Peace and War."
Shidehara remained in government as a member of the House of Peers from 1931 to 1945. He kept a low profile until the end of World War II.
As Prime Minister
When Japan surrendered in 1945, Shidehara was mostly retired. But because he was known for being friendly to America, he was chosen to be Japan's first prime minister after the war. He served from 9 October 1945, to 22 May 1946. He also became the leader of the Japan Progressive Party.
Shidehara's government created a committee to write a new constitution for Japan. This was done following directions from General Douglas MacArthur, who was in charge of the occupation. However, the first draft was rejected by the occupation authorities.
According to MacArthur and others, Shidehara was the one who suggested adding Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan. This part of the constitution limits Japan's ability to wage war. Shidehara himself wrote in his memoirs that he came up with the idea on a train ride. He had learned about the idea of "outlawing war" in international law when he was ambassador in Washington. One of his famous sayings was: "Let us create a world without war together with all humanity."
However, some of his economic ideas and his family's ties to the Mitsubishi company made him unpopular with some groups.
Shidehara's government resigned after Japan's first postwar election. The Liberal Party won most of the votes. Shigeru Yoshida then became prime minister.
Shidehara joined the Liberal Party a year later. He was a strong critic of the socialist government led by Prime Minister Tetsu Katayama. Shidehara was then elected as the speaker of the House of Representatives. He died while holding this position in 1951.
Images for kids
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From left to right: Robert Woods Bliss, Robert Coontz, Kanji Kato, Kunishige Tanaka, Andre Brewster at the Washington Conference on 24 October 1921.
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Left to right; Baron Kijuro Shidehara, Admiral Katō Tomosaburō, Prince Iesato Tokugawa on 3 November 1921, to attend the Washington Naval Conference.
See also
In Spanish: Kijūrō Shidehara para niños
