Koto Matsudaira facts for kids

Koto Matsudaira (松平 康東, Matsudaira Kōtō, 5 February 1903 – 4 May 1994) was a Japanese diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. Matsudaira served as an ambassador to the United Nations from 1957 to 1961.

Koto Matsudaira's Life and Career

Matsudaira was born in Tokyo, Japan, on February 5, 1903. He was the oldest son of Ichisaburō Matsudaira, who owned ships, and Tami Yamamura. He went to high school in Tokyo. Later, he studied law at Tokyo Imperial University.

He started working for the government's foreign service in 1926. This means he began his career as a diplomat. He also earned a law degree in 1927. After that, he traveled to Paris, France. There, he earned a special law degree called a Juris Doctor in 1931. In the same year, he also received a diploma from a famous school called the École Libre des Sciences Politiques.

Early Diplomatic Roles

Matsudaira first joined the League of Nations in 1932. The League of Nations was an organization that worked for world peace before the United Nations. He was a Japanese representative, or delegate, in Geneva. Two years later, he worked in the contract department of the Japanese Foreign Office. He stayed there until early 1941.

Matsudaira then became the first secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.. An embassy is like an official office for a country in another nation. His uncle, Saburō Kurusu, also worked there. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Matsudaira and his uncle were held in the United States. They were later sent back to Japan. In 1944, he went to the Embassy of Japan in Moscow to serve as the first secretary. He helped to write an early version of the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951. This treaty officially ended World War II for Japan.

Ambassador to Canada and the United Nations

In March 1954, Matsudaira was chosen to be the ambassador to Canada. He served in this important role until May 1957. After that, he became Japan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in May 1957. He held this position until May 1961. As a Permanent Representative, he spoke for Japan at the United Nations.

Addressing a Controversial Term

On June 7, 1957, Matsudaira was on a television show. He was asked about the offensive term "Jap". At first, he reportedly said he didn't care about the word. He thought it was just an English slang word.

However, after receiving a letter from a person named Shosuke Sasaki, Matsudaira changed his view. He asked his secretary to write a reply. On August 5, he was interviewed by reporters from Honolulu and San Francisco. He apologized for his earlier comments. He then promised to work with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). The JACL is an organization that works for the rights of Japanese Americans. Matsudaira wanted to help remove the offensive term "Jap" from everyday use.

Role in the United Nations Security Council

In 1958, the United States sent its military forces to Lebanon. This happened during a time of trouble called the 1958 Lebanon crisis. Matsudaira thought this action was open for discussion. He was ready to support a solution, but another diplomat, Gunnar Jarring, said the U.S. action changed things.

Later that year, Matsudaira became the President of the United Nations Security Council in October. The Security Council is a very important part of the UN that works to keep world peace. He served in this role again in October 1959.

In 1960, Matsudaira attended a special dinner hosted by the JACL. He gave a speech to many JACL members and Issei. Issei are Japanese immigrants who came to the U.S. He encouraged all nations to work together for world peace.

Later Career and Views

In early 1961, Matsudaira made a statement about Japan's role in UN peacekeeping. In 1958, Japan had refused a request to send its military officers to Lebanon. Matsudaira reportedly said that it was not right for Japan to talk about cooperating with the UN but then refuse to join UN forces. However, he later took back this statement after some political parties asked him to resign. Later that same year, he became the ambassador to India.

In 1962, there was a conflict between China and India called the Sino-Indian War. Matsudaira strongly believed that Japan should support India. He also warned against Chinese expansion, meaning China trying to gain more power or land. On November 9, he asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send aid to India. However, a director named Torao Ushiroku gave a short reply. He said that "Indians inherently expect others to assist them, but they never show any appreciation."

Koto Matsudaira passed away on May 4, 1994. He is buried at Myōkei-ji in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Koto Matsudaira's Family Life

Koto Matsudaira was married to Ai Yuhara. In 1951, he sent his daughter, Tokiko, to live with the family of Murray Sprung in New York City while she went to school. Sprung had met Matsudaira while helping to prosecute Japanese war criminals. Later, while Matsudaira was serving in India, he remarried. His second wife was Marita Matsudaira, who was from Chile.