Jōtarō Kawakami (河上 丈太郎; 3 January 1889 – 3 December 1965) was a Japanese politician, academic, lawyer and Christian…
Jōtarō Kawakami (河上 丈太郎; 3 January 1889 – 3 December 1965) was a Japanese politician, academic, lawyer and Christian socialist. Born in Tokyo to a devout Christian family, he studied law at Tokyo Imperial University, taught at Rikkyō University and Kwansei Gakuin University, and was drawn into the labour and socialist movements under the influence of Christian pacifists such as Toyohiko Kagawa. In the 1928 general election, the first held under universal male suffrage, he was elected to the House of Representatives as one of only eight members from a proletarian party (Japan Labour-Farmer Party). He served almost continuously until his death, interrupted only by the postwar occupation purge for his wartime association with the Imperial Rule Assistance Association. After the purge was lifted he became the first chairman of the Right Socialist Party of Japan (1952–1955). In his acceptance speech he declared that "the chairmanship is a cross to me" and that he would bear it until death, earning the enduring nickname "Crucifix Chairman" (十字架委員長). He played a leading role in the 1955 reunification of the Japan Socialist Party and later served as its chairman (1961–1965). A centrist within the party, he advocated democratic socialism, structural reform suited to Japan's high-growth economy, and an active peace movement. He survived a right-wing assassination attempt in 1960 and resigned the chairmanship in 1965 for health reasons; he died later that year with a Bible at his bedside.
Famous People from Tokyo
Tokyo: 181 people
Kakichi Kawarada (河原田 稼吉, Kawarada Kakichi; 13 January 1886 – 22 January 1955) was a bureaucrat and cabinet minister in…
Kakichi Kawarada (河原田 稼吉, Kawarada Kakichi; 13 January 1886 – 22 January 1955) was a bureaucrat and cabinet minister in early Shōwa period Japan.
Lee In (Korean: 이인; Hanja: 李仁; September 20, 1896 – April 5, 1979) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served…
Lee In (Korean: 이인; Hanja: 李仁; September 20, 1896 – April 5, 1979) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the first minister of justice for South Korea from August 2, 1948, to June 5, 1949.
Tanzan Ishibashi (石橋 湛山, Ishibashi Tanzan; 25 September 1884 – 25 April 1973) was a Japanese journalist and politician…
Tanzan Ishibashi (石橋 湛山, Ishibashi Tanzan; 25 September 1884 – 25 April 1973) was a Japanese journalist and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1956 to 1957. Born in Tokyo, Ishibashi became a journalist after graduating from Waseda University in 1907. In 1911, he joined the Tōyō Keizai Shimpo ("Eastern Economic Journal") and served as its editor-in-chief from 1925 to 1946 and president from 1941. In the 1930s, Ishibashi was one of the few critics of Japanese imperialism, and became well known as a liberal economist. From 1946 to 1947, Ishibashi served as finance minister under Shigeru Yoshida. He was elected into the National Diet in 1947, but was purged for openly opposing the U.S. occupation policies; he returned to the Diet in 1952, after which he allied with Ichiro Hatoyama and served as his minister of international trade and industry. Ishibashi succeeded Hatoyama as prime minister in 1956, simultaneously serving as director of the Defense Agency, but resigned soon after due to ill health.
Hideo Hatoyama (2 February 1884 – 29 January 1946) was a Japanese jurist whose writings about civil law were…
Hideo Hatoyama (2 February 1884 – 29 January 1946) was a Japanese jurist whose writings about civil law were influential in pre-World War II Japan. Hatoyama was part of the prominent Hatoyama family. His father Kazuo Hatoyama was speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan during the Meiji era, and his brother Ichirō Hatoyama was an influential politician and minister in the 1930s and 40s. Through him, Hideo Hatoyama was able to exert great influence on Japanese jurisprudence. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University in 1908 and subsequent graduate studies in France and Germany, he taught law at his alma mater from 1916 to 1926, after which he worked as a lawyer and left his professorship to his student Sakae Wagatsuma. Hatoyama wrote influential treatises and textbooks on legal transactions (1910) and the law of obligations (1916), but his ideas fell out of fashion after Izotaro Suehiro's attacks on German-style jurisprudence of concepts. Fluent in English, Hatoyama was a member of the Anglican Church in Japan and for many years served as the elected warden of St. Barnabas' Church in Ushigome.
Tadaatsu Ishiguro (石黒 忠篤, Ishiguro Tadaatsu; 9 January 1884 – 10 March 1960) was a bureaucrat, politician, and cabinet…
Tadaatsu Ishiguro (石黒 忠篤, Ishiguro Tadaatsu; 9 January 1884 – 10 March 1960) was a bureaucrat, politician, and cabinet minister in the government of the pre-war Empire of Japan, as well as in post-war Japan.
Shigetarō Shimada (嶋田 繁太郎, Shimada Shigetarō; 24 September 1883 – 7 June 1976) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Shigetarō Shimada (嶋田 繁太郎, Shimada Shigetarō; 24 September 1883 – 7 June 1976) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He also served as Minister of the Navy. He was convicted of waging aggressive war and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Cho Man-sik (Korean: 조만식; 1 February 1883 – ?), also known by his art name Godang (고당), was a Korean independence…
Cho Man-sik (Korean: 조만식; 1 February 1883 – ?), also known by his art name Godang (고당), was a Korean independence activist. He became involved in the power struggle that enveloped North Korea in the months following the Japanese surrender after World War II. Originally, Cho was supported by the Soviet Union for the eventual rule of North Korea. However, due to his opposition to the USA proposed trusteeship, Cho lost Soviet support and was forced from power by the Soviet-backed and pro Soviet communists in the north (a predecessor of the Workers' Party of Korea). Placed under house arrest in January 1946, he later disappeared into the North Korean prison system, where confirmed reports of him end. He is generally believed to have been executed soon after the start of the Korean War, possibly in October 1950.
Ichirō Hatoyama (鳩山 一郎, Hatoyama Ichirō; 1 January 1883 – 7 March 1959) was a Japanese politician who served as prime…
Ichirō Hatoyama (鳩山 一郎, Hatoyama Ichirō; 1 January 1883 – 7 March 1959) was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1954 to 1956. During his tenure he oversaw the formation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and restored official relations with the Soviet Union. Hatoyama was born in Tokyo as the eldest son of politician Kazuo Hatoyama. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University, he practiced law before entering political life, and was first elected to the Diet in 1915 as a member of the Rikken Seiyūkai. He served as chief cabinet secretary under Giichi Tanaka from 1927 to 1929, and minister of education under Tsuyoshi Inukai and Makoto Saitō from 1931 to 1934. He was one of the leading members of the Seiyukai prior to its dissolution in 1940, and during the Pacific War opposed the cabinet of Hideki Tōjō. In 1945, Hatoyama founded the Liberal Party, which became the largest party in the first post-war election, but he was purged by the American occupation authorities before taking office, and handed the post to Shigeru Yoshida. Hatoyama was de-purged in 1951, but his conflict with Yoshida over the leadership split the Liberal Party in two. Hatoyama then founded the Democratic Party in 1954. In 1954, Hatoyama ousted Yoshida and finally succeeded him as prime minister. In 1955, his Democratic Party and the Liberal Party, formerly led by Yoshida, merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated Japanese politics ever since. During his tenure, Hatoyama attempted to push through an electoral reform to ensure a two-party system in order to revise the constitution's pacifist Article 9, but failed in both efforts. In 1956, he restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, ending the formal state of war which had existed since 1945, and secured Japan's entry into the United Nations before he resigned. Hatoyama is the grandfather of Yukio Hatoyama, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2010.
Kiyoshi Akita (秋田 清, Akita Kiyoshi; 29 August 1881 – 3 December 1944) was a politician and cabinet minister in the…
Kiyoshi Akita (秋田 清, Akita Kiyoshi; 29 August 1881 – 3 December 1944) was a politician and cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan, serving as a member of the Lower House of the Diet of Japan for ten terms, and twice as a cabinet minister. He also served as Speaker of the House from 1932-1934.
Yoshiaki Hatta (八田 嘉明, Hatta Yoshiaki; 14 September 1879 – 26 April 1964), was an engineer, entrepreneur, politician…
Yoshiaki Hatta (八田 嘉明, Hatta Yoshiaki; 14 September 1879 – 26 April 1964), was an engineer, entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan, serving as a member of the Upper House of the Diet of Japan, and five times as a cabinet minister.
Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂, Yoshida Shigeru; Japanese pronunciation: [jo.ɕi.da (|) ɕi.ɡe.ɾɯ, -ŋe.ɾɯ], 22 September 1878 – 20…
Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂, Yoshida Shigeru; Japanese pronunciation: [jo.ɕi.da (|) ɕi.ɡe.ɾɯ, -ŋe.ɾɯ], 22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and again from 1948 to 1954, serving through most of the country's occupation after World War II. Yoshida played a major role in determining the course of post-war Japan by forging a strong relationship with the United States and pursuing economic recovery. Born in Tokyo to a former samurai family, Yoshida graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1906 and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He held various assignments abroad, including in China, where he advocated increased Japanese influence. From 1928 to 1930, Yoshida served as vice minister of foreign affairs, then served as ambassador to Italy until 1932. In 1936, he was considered for foreign minister in the cabinet of Kōki Hirota, but he was opposed by the Army, who strongly identified him with liberalism and friendship with Great Britain and the United States. Yoshida served as ambassador to Britain from 1936 to 1938. He largely avoided political participation during the Pacific War. During the U.S. occupation after the war's end, Yoshida served as foreign minister in the cabinets of Prince Higashikuni and Kijūrō Shidehara. Yoshida became prime minister in 1946, after Ichirō Hatoyama was purged by authorities on the verge of taking office; Yoshida served as foreign minister in his own first three cabinets. He oversaw the adoption of the Constitution of Japan before losing office after the election of 1947. He returned to the premiership in 1948, and negotiated the Treaty of San Francisco, which ended the occupation and saw the restoration of sovereignty to Japan, and a security treaty with the U.S. Yoshida pursued a strategy of concentrating on economic reconstruction while relying on an alliance with the United States for defense, a strategy known as the Yoshida Doctrine. The last years of his premiership were marked by conflict with Hatoyama, who had by then been depurged. This culminated in Yoshida being ousted and replaced by Hatoyama in 1954. Yoshida's legacy continued to play an important part in Japanese political life, particularly through his two protégés, Hayato Ikeda and Eisaku Satō, who served as prime ministers from 1960 to 1964 and 1964 to 1972 respectively. Yoshida died in 1967 and received a state funeral. His grandson, Tarō Asō, served as prime minister from 2008 to 2009.
Sadaji Itō (17 January 1878 – 1943) was a Japanese politician who served as Mayor of the City of Hiroshima from May…
Sadaji Itō (17 January 1878 – 1943) was a Japanese politician who served as Mayor of the City of Hiroshima from May 1930 to May 1934.
Baron Sadao Araki (荒木 貞夫, Araki Sadao; 26 May 1877 – 2 November 1966) was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese…
Baron Sadao Araki (荒木 貞夫, Araki Sadao; 26 May 1877 – 2 November 1966) was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was regarded as the leader of the Kodoha, a political faction within the Imperial Japanese Army and served as Minister of the Army under Prime Ministers Inukai and Saitō. He was forced from active service in the aftermath of the February 26 incident. He later served as Minister of Education under Prime Ministers Konoe and Hiranuma. After World War II, he was convicted of war crimes and given a life sentence but was released in 1955.
Junnosuke Inoue (井上 準之助, Inoue Junnosuke; May 6, 1869 – February 9, 1932) was a Japanese financier and statesman of the…
Junnosuke Inoue (井上 準之助, Inoue Junnosuke; May 6, 1869 – February 9, 1932) was a Japanese financier and statesman of the Taisho and Showa eras. He was the 9th and 11th Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), and Minister of Finance in 1923-1924 and 1929-1931. He was assassinated during the League of Blood Incident in 1932.
Tani Tateki (谷 干城; 18 March 1837 – 13 May 1911) was a statesman and lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in…
Tani Tateki (谷 干城; 18 March 1837 – 13 May 1911) was a statesman and lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in Meiji period Japan. He was also known as Tani Kanjō.
Takayoshi Sekiguchi (1836-1889) was a Japanese policeman and politician in the Edo Period and the first Governor of the…
Takayoshi Sekiguchi (1836-1889) was a Japanese policeman and politician in the Edo Period and the first Governor of the Shizuoka Prefecture. He was one of the founders of Shizuoka Girls' School.
Ken Hirose (広瀬 建, Hirose Ken; born 22 January 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who…
Ken Hirose (広瀬 建, Hirose Ken; born 22 January 1974) is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
Shoko Sakurai (櫻井 祥子, Sakurai Shōko; born 31 January 1984) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…
Shoko Sakurai (櫻井 祥子, Sakurai Shōko; born 31 January 1984) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Councillors since 2025. In the 2024 general election, she was a candidate for the House of Representatives in Tokyo 1st district.
Kaori Ishikawa (石川かおり, Ishikawa Kaori; born 10 May 1984) is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party in the…
Kaori Ishikawa (石川かおり, Ishikawa Kaori; born 10 May 1984) is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, representing Hokkaido's 11th district after being elected for the first time. She was an analyst for Nippon BS Broadcasting before meeting her husband, Tomohiro Ishikawa, with whom she has two children. Ishikawa was born in Yokohama and graduated from the University of the Sacred Heart.
Hiroyoshi Sasakawa (born 29 August 1966) is a Japanese politician and businessman. He is the member of the House of…
Hiroyoshi Sasakawa (born 29 August 1966) is a Japanese politician and businessman. He is the member of the House of Representatives for Gunma 3rd district belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party. In the 2026 Japanese general election, Sasakawa was reelected for his sixth term by a large margin (96,283 votes against his opponent's 60,204). This represented an improvement from his performance in the 2024 election when he won reelection to his fifth term by only 214 votes.
Yohei Onishi (大西洋平, Onishi Yohei; born 12 January 1978) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of…
Yohei Onishi (大西洋平, Onishi Yohei; born 12 January 1978) is a Japanese politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2024. He is the son of Hideo Ōnishi.
Yukihiko Akutsu (阿久津 幸彦, Akutsu Yukihiko; born 26 June 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic…
Yukihiko Akutsu (阿久津 幸彦, Akutsu Yukihiko; born 26 June 1956) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Zhang Shizhao (simplified Chinese: 章士钊; traditional Chinese: 章士釗; pinyin: Zhāng Shìzhāo; Wade–Giles: Chang Shih-chao…
Zhang Shizhao (simplified Chinese: 章士钊; traditional Chinese: 章士釗; pinyin: Zhāng Shìzhāo; Wade–Giles: Chang Shih-chao; 20 March 1881 – 1 July 1973), courtesy name Xingyan, pen name Huangzhonghuang, Qingtong or Qiutong, was a Chinese journalist, educator, politician of the early 20th century known for his advocacy first of revolutionary cultural values in the period leading up to the 1911 Revolution and then of traditional Confucian culture in following years. From the early years of the 20th century, Zhang edited a series of widely read journals and in the 1910s and 20s conducted respectful debates with New Culture Movement advocates of deep change and promoted Classical Chinese writing and protested written vernacular Chinese. He was the Minister of Justice and Minister of Education of the Beiyang Government, led by Duan Qirui during the Republic of China period. He was a senator in the Republic of China government and a standing committee member of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and a standing committee member of the CPPCC in PRC. He was the president of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History. In 1949, Zhang was among a group of non-Communist intellectuals who reached out to Mao Zedong.
Ikuo Yamahana (Japanese: 山花 郁夫, Hepburn: Yamahana Ikuo; born 18 January 1967) is a Japanese politician of the…
Ikuo Yamahana (Japanese: 山花 郁夫, Hepburn: Yamahana Ikuo; born 18 January 1967) is a Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who served as a member of House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
Miki Yamada (山田美樹, Yamada Miki; born 15 March 1974) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of…
Miki Yamada (山田美樹, Yamada Miki; born 15 March 1974) is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She was born in Shinagawa, Tokyo and received an LLB from the University of Tokyo, following which she joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. She attended business school at Columbia University and subsequently worked in the Cabinet Secretariat under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, as a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group, and as a marketing executive for Hermès Japan. She was first elected to the Diet in the 2012 general election, in which she defeated former Economy Minister (and subsequent Democratic Party of Japan president) Banri Kaieda in the Tokyo 1st district. Her campaign was supported by Kaoru Yosano. Miki was re-elected to serve a further term in parliament in the 2014 general election. She was appointed (and remains) Vice-minister for foreign affairs in the 3rd cabinet re-shuffle of the Abe administration. In the 2017 general election, Kaieda defeated Yamada by a small margin in the Tokyo 1st district, but Yamada retained a seat in the Diet through the LDP proportional representation list.
Takayuki Ochiai (落合 貴之, Ochiai Takayuki; born 17 August 1979) is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional…
Takayuki Ochiai (落合 貴之, Ochiai Takayuki; born 17 August 1979) is a Japanese politician from the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Ochiai represents the Tokyo 6th district.
Kumiko Hayakawa (早川 久美子, Hayakawa Kumiko; born 18 January 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party…
Kumiko Hayakawa (早川 久美子, Hayakawa Kumiko; born 18 January 1971) is a former Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). She was elected for the first time in 2009. Japanese media revealed that Hayakawa was a former swimsuit model and called her one of "Ozawa's girls" in reference to Ichirō Ozawa, the DPJ leader at the time. In 2010 Hayakawa was part of a parliamentary delegation to President of the Republic of China Ma Ying-jeou. In 2012 Hayakawa appeared as a ring girl at a professional boxing match. A native of Katsushika, Tokyo, she attended California State University, Sacramento.
Genki Sudo (須藤 元気, Sudō Genki; born 8 March 1978) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, singer, actor, and…
Genki Sudo (須藤 元気, Sudō Genki; born 8 March 1978) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, singer, actor, and politician. Between 1998 and 2006, Sudo was a professional athlete and then was in the entertainment industry from 2006 to 2019. He has since returned to his previous position in World Order as of September 2021 where he is currently active. He is a retired mixed martial artist and a kickboxer who, until 31 December 2006 competed in the Japanese fighting organization HERO'S and before that, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pancrase. He is known for his elaborate ring entrances and unorthodox fighting style. Sudo, following his retirement, transitioned into a career in entertainment as a Japanese singer, composer, choreographer, actor, professional calligrapher and author. He is the producer, director, and lead vocalist of the music group World Order, which is known for their techno music style and highly synchronised robotic choreography. Sudo served in the House of Councillors as a political independent between 2019 and 2024. In 2025, he joined the conservative Democratic Party For the People.
Tetsuro Fukuyama (福山 哲郎, Fukuyama Tetsurō; born January 19, 1962) is a politician of the Constitutional Democratic…
Tetsuro Fukuyama (福山 哲郎, Fukuyama Tetsurō; born January 19, 1962) is a politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the Senate in the Diet (national legislature).
Kazuyoshi Akaba (Japanese: 赤羽 一嘉, Hepburn: Akaba Kazuyoshi; born 7 May 1958) is a Japanese politician who served as the…
Kazuyoshi Akaba (Japanese: 赤羽 一嘉, Hepburn: Akaba Kazuyoshi; born 7 May 1958) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from September 2019 to October 2021. He is also a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Hyogo 2nd district since 2012. A member of Komeito, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 1993. He served as a representative until 2009, ending when he lost his re-election bid. In 2012, he ran again and won back the seat.