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Naruhiko Prince Higashikuni | |||||
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東久邇宮稔彦王 | |||||
 Formal portrait,c. 1936 | |||||
| Prime Minister of Japan | |||||
| In office 17 August 1945 – 9 October 1945 | |||||
| Monarch | Shōwa | ||||
| Preceded by | Kantarō Suzuki | ||||
| Succeeded by | Kijūrō Shidehara | ||||
| Minister of the Army | |||||
| In office 17 August 1945 – 23 August 1945 | |||||
| Prime Minister | Himself | ||||
| Preceded by | Korechika Anami | ||||
| Succeeded by | Sadamu Shimomura | ||||
| Member of theHouse of Peers | |||||
| In office 3 December 1907 – 23 May 1946 | |||||
| Personal details | |||||
| Born | (1887-12-03)3 December 1887 | ||||
| Died | 20 January 1990(1990-01-20) (aged 102) | ||||
| Political party | Independent | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Children | Morihiro Higashikuni Moromasa Higashikuni Akitsune Higashikuni Toshihiko Higashikuni | ||||
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | Imperial Japanese Army Academy Army War College | ||||
| Occupation | Imperial Prince General | ||||
| Awards | Order of the Chrysanthemum Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers,Order of the Golden Kite | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
| Military service | |||||
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan | ||||
| Branch/service |  Imperial Japanese Army | ||||
| Years of service | 1908–1945 | ||||
| Rank | General | ||||
| Commands | IJA 4th Division,Imperial Japanese Army Air Service,IJA 2nd Army,General Defense Command | ||||
| Battles/wars | |||||
| Prince Higashikuni | |||||
| Tenure | 3 November 1906 – 14 October 1947 | ||||
| Successor | Title abolished | ||||
| Head of theHouse of Higashikuni | |||||
| Tenure | 3 November 1906 – 20 January 1990 | ||||
| Successor | Nobuhiko Higashikuni | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 東久邇宮稔彦王 | ||||
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Naruhiko, Prince Higashikuni (東久邇宮稔彦王,Higashikuni-no-miya Naruhiko Ō; 3 December 1887 – 20 January 1990) was a member of theJapanese imperial family and general of the army who served asprime minister of Japan from 17 August to 9 October 1945. He is the only member of the Japanese imperial family to head a cabinet, and Japan's shortest-serving prime minister, serving for only 54 days.
Born inKyoto, Prince Higashikuni was a son ofPrince Kuni Asahiko and marriedToshiko, Princess Yasu, a daughter ofEmperor Meiji, thus making him an uncle-in-law ofEmperor Hirohito. He graduated from the Army Academy and War College, and studied military tactics in France from 1920 to 1926. Upon his return to Japan, he was promoted to general in 1930 and held several military posts, including as commander of theGeneral Defense Command from 1941 to 1944. Prince Higashikuni's appointment as prime minister following the war reflected a hope that his prestige as an imperial prince would help to unite the defeated country. He presided over the signing of the surrender on 2 September 1945 and the disbandment of the armed forces before resigning in opposition to an order by theAllied occupation authorities to abolish thePeace Preservation Law. He became a commoner after the abolition of the princely houses in 1947, and later formed a Buddhist sect. He is the longest-lived of Japan's premiers, dying in 1990 at the age of 102.
Prince Naruhiko was born on 3 December 1887 inKyoto, the ninth son ofPrince Kuni Asahiko (Kuni no miya Asahiko Shinnō) and the court lady Terao Utako. His father, Prince Asahiko, was a son ofPrince Fushimi Kuniie (Fushimi no miya Kuniie Shinnō), the twentieth head of theFushimi-no-miya, the oldest of thesesshu shinnōke or cadet branches of the imperial dynasty from whom an emperor might be chosen in default of a direct heir. Prince Naruhiko was a half-brother ofPrince Kuni Kuniyoshi, the father of the futureEmpress Kōjun, the wife of Emperor Shōwa. His other half-brothers,Prince Asaka Yasuhiko,Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, andPrince Kaya Kuninori, all formed new branches of the imperial family (ōke) during theMeiji period.
Emperor Meiji granted Prince Naruhiko the titleHigashikuni-no-miya and permission to start anew branch of the imperial family on 3 November 1906. Prince Naruhiko married the ninth daughter of Emperor Meiji,Toshiko, Princess Yasu (11 May 1896 – 5 March 1978), on 18 May 1915. The couple had four sons.
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko was a career officer in theImperial Japanese Army. In 1908, he graduated from theImperial Japanese Army Academy as a second lieutenant, was promoted to lieutenant in 1910 and to captain in 1913. In 1914, he graduated from theArmy War College. He was commissioned acaptain in the 29th Infantry Brigade and promoted tomajor in theIJA 7th Division in 1915.
Prince Higashikuni then studiedmilitary tactics at theÉcole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr andÉcole Polytechnique inParisFrance, from 1920 to 1926, during which time he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1920 and to colonel in 1926. Always somewhat of a rebel, Prince Higashikuni's behavior in Paris scandalized the Imperial Court. He had a French mistress, and enjoyed fast cars and high living. He left his wife and children in Japan, and the death of his second son did not prompt his return. In 1926, theImperial Household Ministry dispatched a chamberlain to Paris to collect him.
Upon his return to Japan, he was assigned to theImperial Japanese Army General Staff Headquarters. Promoted to major-general in August 1930 and appointed commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade (1930–1934), he was promoted to lieutenant-general in August 1934 and given command of theIJA 4th Division (1934–1937). After the start of theSecond Sino-Japanese War, he headed theImperial Japanese Army Air Service (1937–1938), and theIJA 2nd Army stationed inChina from 1938–1939. He was promoted to general in August 1939.
According to a memo discovered by historianYoshiaki Yoshimi, Prince Higashikuni authorized the use ofpoison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938.[1] Prince Higashikuni encouraged and enabled human experiments, providing advice, money, men and equipment. He personally witnessedhuman experiments conducted by the military physicians during his tours inManchukuo.[2]
On 13 May 1939 the Imperial General Headquarters authorized the use of poison gas toJapanese Northern China Area Army (大陸指第四百五十二号). Only riot control agents were used till then. Prince Higashikuni moved to the post at home dated 4 January 1939. Promoted to fullgeneral, the prince was awarded theOrder of the Golden Kite, 1st Class in 1940.[citation needed]
Before Japan entered theSecond World War, on 15 October 1941, outgoingPrime MinisterFumimaro Konoe proposed Prince Higashikuni to Emperor Shōwa as his successor for prime minister.[3] Konoe believed that only a member of the Imperial Family with a distinguished military background could restrain the pro-war faction led by GeneralsHajime Sugiyama,Hideki Tōjō, andAkira Mutō. Prince Higashikuni was also the choice of both Chief of Staffs of the Army and the Navy.
However, both Emperor Shōwa and theLord Privy Seal,Kido Kōichi, believed that it would be inappropriate for a member of the Imperial Family to serve in that position, as he could be blamed for anything which went wrong in the war. Thus, two days later, the Emperor chose army minister GeneralHideki Tōjō as prime minister. In 1946, he explained this decision: "I actually thought Prince Higashikuni suitable as Chief of Staff of the Army; but I think the appointment of a member of the Imperial house to a political office must be considered very carefully. Above all, in time of peace this is fine, but when there is a fear that there may even be a war, then more importantly, considering the welfare of the imperial house, I wonder about the wisdom of a member of the Imperial family serving [as prime minister]."[4]
Six weeks later, Japanattacked Pearl Harbor. During the early stages of thePacific War, Prince Higashikuni served as commander of theGeneral Defense Command from 1941 to 1944.
Prince Higashikuni remained steadfast in his opposition to the war with theAllied powers, and was part of the conspiracy (withPrince Yasuhiko Asaka,Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu, and former prime minister Konoe) which finally ousted Tōjō in July 1944 following thefall of Saipan to American forces. The American researchers withSCAP also found out that he had planned towards the end of the war to depose Emperor Shōwa, placing the Crown PrinceAkihito on the throne instead, governing the country with himself as regent.[5]
After the course of the war turned against Japan, and the decision was made toaccept thePotsdam Declaration, the Emperor Shōwa appointed Prince Higashikuni to be prime minister on 17 August 1945, replacing navy AdmiralKantarō Suzuki. The mission of theHigashikuni Cabinet was twofold: first, to ensure the orderly cessation of hostilities anddemobilization of the Japanese armed forces; and second, to reassure the Japanese people that the imperial institution remained secure. Prince Higashikuni resigned in October over a dispute with theAllied occupation forces over the repeal of the 1925Peace Preservation Law. This law was largely intended to prevent the spread ofCommunism to Japan.
On 27 February 1946, Prince Higashikuni gave an interview to theYomiuri-Hōchi newspaper in which he claimed that many members of the imperial family had approved Emperor Shōwa's abdication, withNobuhito, Prince Takamatsu serving as regent until Crown PrinceAkihito came of age.[6] In the government, only Prime MinisterKijūrō Shidehara and the Imperial Household MinisterYoshitami Matsudaira opposed this. On 4 March 1946, Higashikuni gave a similar interview to theAssociated Press (reported inThe New York Times) indicating that he had proposed to the Emperor possible dates for abdication.[7]
In 1946, Prince Higashikuni asked the emperor for permission to renounce his membership in the Imperial Family and become a commoner. The emperor denied the request. However, along with other members of the Imperial branch families (shinnōke andōke), Prince Higashikuni lost his title and most of his wealth as a result of the American occupation's abolition of the princely houses on 17 October 1947.
As a private citizen, Higashikuni operated several unsuccessful retail enterprises (including a provisions store, second-hand goods store, and dressmaker's shop). He even created his own newZenBuddhism-based religious sect, theHigashikuni-kyo, which was subsequently banned by the American occupation authorities.
The former prince became the honorary chairman of theInternational Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) in 1957, and honorary president of several other organizations.
In 1958, Higashikuni published his wartime journals under the title,Ichi Kozoku no Senso Nikki (orThe War Diary of a Member of the Imperial Family). He published his autobiographical memoirs,Higashikuni Nikki, in 1968.
Higashikuni died ofheart failure in Tokyo on 20 January 1990 at the age of 102 years, 48 days, having outlived his wife, two of his sons, his siblings, and his nephew, Emperor Shōwa. Higashikuni is today mainly remembered as the first postwar prime minister of Japan. He is the shortest-serving prime minister, resigning after eight weeks (54 days) and one of the longest-lived prime ministers of all time, along withAntoine Pinay,Willem Drees andChristopher Hornsrud. At his death, he was the last surviving full general of the Imperial Japanese Army. From 14 May 1988, when formerNetherlandsPrime MinisterWillem Drees died, until his own death, Higashikuni was the world's oldest living former head of government.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Japan Aug – Oct 1945 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Army Minister Aug 1945 – Aug 1945 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Commander, General Defense Command Dec 1941 – Apr 1945 | Succeeded by none |
| Preceded by | Commander, IJA 2nd Army Apr 1938 – Dec 1939 | Succeeded by none |
| Records | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest living state leader 14 May 1988 – 20 January 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Empire of Japan (1868–1947) |
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| Japan (1947–present) |
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