Tetsu Katayama | |
|---|---|
片山 哲 | |
 Official portrait, 1947 | |
| Prime Minister of Japan | |
| In office 24 May 1947 – 10 March 1948 | |
| Monarch | Hirohito |
| Governor | Douglas MacArthur |
| Deputy | Hitoshi Ashida |
| Preceded by | Shigeru Yoshida |
| Succeeded by | Hitoshi Ashida |
| Chairman of theJapan Socialist Party | |
| In office 28 September 1946 – 16 January 1950 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mosaburō Suzuki (1955) |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
| In office 2 October 1952 – 23 October 1963 | |
| Preceded by | Inosuke Nakanishi |
| Succeeded by | Gōsuke Kimura |
| Constituency | Kanagawa 3rd |
| In office 11 April 1946 – 23 December 1948 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Inosuke Nakanishi |
| Constituency | Kanagawa at-large (1946–1947) Kanagawa 3rd (1947–1948) |
| In office 21 February 1936 – 30 April 1942 | |
| Preceded by | Suzuki Kisaburō |
| Succeeded by | Dennosuke Okamoto |
| Constituency | Kanagawa 2nd |
| In office 21 February 1930 – 21 January 1932 | |
| Preceded by | Akao Tokichiro |
| Succeeded by | Suzuki Kisaburō |
| Constituency | Kanagawa 2nd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1887-07-28)28 July 1887 |
| Died | 30 May 1978(1978-05-30) (aged 90) Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Political party | Socialist (1945–1951; 1955–1960) |
| Other political affiliations | SDP (1926–1932) Shakai Taishūtō (1932–1940) Independent (1940–1945) RSP (1951–1955) DSP (1960–1963) |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Signature |  |
Tetsu Katayama (片山 哲,Katayama Tetsu; 28 July 1887 – 30 May 1978) was a Japanese politician who served asprime minister of Japan from 1947 to 1948. He was the firstsocialist to serve as Japanese prime minister, and the last non-member of theLiberal Democratic Party or its forerunners to serve until 1993.
Born inWakayama Prefecture, Katayama graduated in law fromTokyo Imperial University in 1912. He was strongly influenced by theChristian socialism ofAbe Isoo, and in the 1920s served as a legal adviser to labor organizations and socialist political parties. He helped form theSocial Democratic Party in 1926, and was elected to theDiet for the first time in 1930. In 1932, his party merged with theShakai Taishūtō, which was dissolved in 1940. After thePacific War, he became the secretary-general of theJapan Socialist Party. After the 1947 election, Katayama became prime minister, heading a coalition cabinet with members of theDemocratic Party andNational Cooperative Party. With the backing of occupation authorities, he helped implement a wide range of progressive social reforms, including the establishment of a labor ministry, but had insufficient political strength for more radical reforms such as wage and price controls, forcing him to resign in 1948. Katayama lost his Diet seat in 1949, although he remained a leading figure in his party's right wing throughout the 1950s. From 1960, he supported the newly-formedDemocratic Socialist Party.
He was born inTanabe,Wakayama Prefecture on 28 July 1887.[1] He attendedTokyo Imperial University and received a bachelor's degree in law.[1] Raised in the Christian faith, he was strongly influenced by theChristian socialism ofAbe Isoo. After graduating, he opened a law office in a rentedYMCA dormitory, and worked as an attorney.[1]
Katayama became secretary-general of theSocial Democratic Party when it was established in 1926.[1] He was elected to Japan'sHouse of Representatives, representingKanagawa Prefecture, in 1930.[1] Later in 1932, he joined the executive committee of theSocialist Masses Party. He was removed from the party since he did not participate in the session of the House on whichTakao Saito was expelled from the House for his antimilitary speech.[1] AfterWorld War II, Katayama began to serve as secretary-general of theJapan Socialist Party when it was established in November 1945.[1] In September 1946, he became the chairman of the party's executive committee.[1]
 Katayama in mid-1950s | |
| Premiership of Tetsu Katayama 24 May 1947 – 10 March 1948 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Shōwa |
|---|---|
| Cabinet | Katayama Cabinet |
| Party | Socialist (Allied occupation) |
| Election | 1947 |
| Seat | Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei |
| Constituency | Kanagawa 3rd |
 Emblem of the Government of Japan | |
Following the 1947 elections, in which the Socialist Party came in first, Katayama formed a coalition government with theDemocratic Party and theNational Cooperative Party. Although socialist-led, Katayama’s cabinet was dominated by conservatives, with one study noting that (in relation to the Occupation period) “The Katayama Cabinet was not actually a socialist government. All governments were of a conservative persuasion.”[2] Although in reality, Emperor Hirohito was displeased by the fact that Katayama became the prime minister, wherein he was not included in the votation process.[3] Despite leading a short-lived administration, Katayama, during his time in office, saw the enactment of a wide range of progressive social reforms such as the establishment of Japan's first Labour Ministry;[4] an Unemployment Compensation Act; an Unemployment Insurance Act; and the overhaul revision of the Civil Code, whose section on the family institution was completely rewritten to provide, for instance, the eldest son with a greater inheritance share.[5][6]
The Labour Standards Act of September 1947 introduced maternity leave for a five weekly mandatory post-natal period and prohibited dismissal of women during maternity leave and for thirty days after the end of the leave although not all workers were covered.[7] In addition, the law provided for equal pay for equal work.[8] The Employment Security Law of November 1947 contained authority for the government to operate a system of free public employment exchanges on a broader and more democratic basis than under the former Employment Exchange Law. It also provided for public services to the handicapped in securing employment, and outlawed labor bosses and other undemocratic forms of labor recruitment.[9] The Child Welfare Law of December 1947 extended special protection to abused, abandoned, and neglected children, guaranteed the privacy rights of children born out of wedlock, established health-care programmes for mothers and children, provided for prenatal care, outlawed the employment of minors in dangerous occupations, and abolished the practice of indentured labour. The legislation also laid the institutional foundation for a nationwide system of childcare centres, created standards for foster parentage, and made the state responsible for setting up and supervising orphanages and other juvenile institutions.[6]
The Law for the Elimination of Excessive Economic Concentration (passed in December 1947) provided for the dissolution of any company considered to be monopolistic,[10] while the "law on the expulsion ofZaibatsu-affiliated controls" of January 1948 enforced the resignation of Zaibatsu board members who were related closely to Zaibatsu families, while a measure was taken to ban on holding the concurrent board posts of their affiliated companies. In addition, a government employees law was enacted, the first group of Japanese Supreme Court justices was appointed, local government and the police were reorganised, the Ministries of Home Affairs, Navy, and War were abolished,[11] extensive revisions were made to criminal law, and progress was made on land reform.[12]
At the end of the 1950s, Katayama was also the president of the Japan Temperance Union.[13] The influence of left-wing socialists, such asSuzuki Mosaburō, forced Katayama to resign early in his term.[14] After his resignation, Katayama became a member of theDemocratic Socialist Party and advocated the maintenance of the pacifist constitution, election reform, and formation of a global commonwealth. In 1963, Katayama left politics after he lost his seat in the general elections.[1]
He was one of the signatories of the agreement to convene a convention for drafting aworld constitution.[15][16] As a result, for the first time in human history, aWorld Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt aConstitution for the Federation of Earth.[17]
Media related toTetsu Katayama at Wikimedia Commons| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Japan 1947–1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Justice Interim 1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Commerce and Industry 1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Communications 1947 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Finance Interim 1947 | Succeeded by |
| Empire of Japan (1868–1947) |
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