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Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke- The Most Controversial Leader of Modern Japan

9/28/2023

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by Angela Xie
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Born on November 13, 1896, Kishi Nobusuke was a prominent Japanese political leader from a family with roots in the Meiji Restoration. Growing up in a small town in Japan, Kishi Nobusuke seemed to have little chance to rule Manchuria and Japan when he got older; nobody would connect him with the prime minister of Japan. However, he eventually pursued his dream of becoming a government official who aimed at modernizing Japan. Kishi was easily one of the most controversial characters of the 20th century as he went from a Class A War Criminal after WW2 to prime minister of Japan within ten years.
Many historians associate Kishi's life with Westernization. It is indeed true. Even though he grew up in a small town, he was exposed to Western ideas during the Showa Restoration and believed only modernization would help Japan catch up with the West. Kishi also believed a state should be highly industrialized and centralized instead of sticking to the old feudal system. With this belief in mind, Kishi joined the Ministry of Commerce and had the opportunity to travel around the world. He soon learned about industrialization in America and Germany. 
Dan Kurzman, the author of Kishi and Japan: The Search for the Sun, describes him as a combination of the old and the modern world, which was similar to the country Japan. In Kurzman's book, he says that: 


"As for the future of Japan, in order for resource-poor Japan to maintain itself, it must establish itself through trade. In order to establish itself through trade, industrial technology needs to be developed, and through technological superiority, industry must be developed… I'm entering it so it will have more prestige."


From Kurzman's perspective, he believed that Japan adopted both Eastern and Western ideologies for its development. So was Kishi. He embraced new knowledge from his trip to the West and decided to bring them back to Japan. When he returned, he participated in the "reform bureaucracy" activities, which aimed at creating an authoritarian version of modern Japan. They also supported the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Even though they advocated for pan-Asianism, it was a pro-Japan political plan. The Imperial Japanese government completely controlled Manchuria, China, after the Mukden Incident (1937). Kishi was made the army's de-facto head of Manchuria. Under his rule, most Chinese laborers underwent brutalities. Of the four million Chinese people who were used as forced labor for this operation, more than 40% of them died from the brutal conditions. In 1945, after the surrender of Japan, Kishi was classified as a Class A criminal. 
However, Kishi was released quickly with the help of the U.S. "The U.S. decided to support Kishi to ensure American dominance in Japan, and his 1957 visit to Washington won him CIA financial support and a promise that the security treaty would be revised." In return, Kishi signed the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security with the United States in 1960. The treaty, which allowed American military bases to remain in Japan, sparked widespread protests and unrest, leading to violent clashes between demonstrators and the police. Kishi's handling of the treaty and his suppression of protests led to accusations of authoritarianism and fueled anti-American sentiments. 
Kishi Nobusuke's legacy is a complex tapestry of achievements, controversies, and contradictions. He transformed Japan into an economic powerhouse, while his role in negotiating the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security highlighted his willingness to navigate international alliances, even in the face of domestic opposition. However, Kishi's wartime past and his association with the Imperial government remain deeply contentious aspects of his legacy, shaping perceptions of his character and leadership. His political decisions and actions, both laudable and questionable, exemplify the challenges faced by Japan as it emerged from the ashes of World War II. 
Ultimately, Kishi's impact on post-war Japan underscores the intricate interplay between political maneuvering, economic development, and historical context. His story serves as a reminder of the complexities and nuances inherent in rebuilding and reshaping a nation in the aftermath of war.


Works Cited:
Kurzman, D. (1960). Kishi and Japan: The Search for the Sun. I. Obolensky.
Mimura, Janis. Planning for Empire: Reform Bureaucrats and the Japanese Wartime State. 1st ed., Cornell University Press, 2011. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt7zjn3. Accessed September 2, 2023.
Schönander, L. E. (2022, June 3). The works of the monster of shōwa. Palladium Magazine. https://www.palladiummag.com/2022/06/03/the-works-of-the-monster-of-showa/

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  • Home
    • About >
      • FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
    • Support Us >
      • Projects you can support! >
        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
    • Contact
  • Stories
    • Videos >
      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
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      • 2018 Summer Showcase + Fundraiser
    • Fall 2017 Internship
    • Summer 2017 Internship >
      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
  • Archives
  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
      • Denial A Quick Look of History of Comfort Women and Present Days’ Complication - Guide >
        • The Comfort Women System and the Fight for Recognition
        • The Role of Activism and International Pressure
        • The Controversy over Japanese History Textbooks
        • The Sonyŏsang Statue and the Symbolism of Public Memorials
        • Activism and Support from Japanese Citizens
        • The Future of Comfort Women Memorials and Education
      • Echoes of Empire: The Power of Japanese Propaganda - Guide >
        • Brief Overview of Imperial Japan
        • Defining Propaganda
        • Propaganda Encouraging Action​
        • The Rise of Nationalism
        • The Formation of Japanese State Propaganda
        • Youth and Education
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute