Cabinet of Prime Minister Katayama

(May 24, 1947 - March 10, 1948, Showa 22-23)
A centrist three-party coalition government led by Japan Socialist Party Chairman Katayama Satoshi, the Democratic Party, and the National Cooperative Party. In the first general election under the new constitution in April 1947, the Socialist, Liberal, and Democratic Parties each won just under one-third of the seats, so a four-party coalition government was planned, including the National Cooperative Party, but the Liberal Party refused to join the cabinet, demanding the exclusion of the left wing of the Socialist Party. As a result, a three-party coalition government was formed. MacArthur supported the formation of a centrist government. With the implementation of the Japanese Constitution, the Katayama Cabinet revised various laws, including the Civil Code and the Criminal Code, and also promoted reforms such as dissolving the Ministry of Home Affairs, reforming the police system, and establishing the Ministry of Labor. However, in terms of economic policy, it increased the burden on workers through a new price system, and adopted a prioritized production system through price adjustment subsidies and loans from the Reconstruction Finance Bank. National control of coal mines, the only socialist policy, was also significantly set back by resistance from the Democratic Party and the Coal Mining Association, and when the issue of the impeachment of Agriculture Minister Hirano Rikizo caused the left wing of the Socialist Party to become the opposition party within the party and opposed the budget proposal, it finally led to the resignation of the party on February 10, 1948.

[Akira Miyazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

（1947.5.24～1948.3.10　昭和22～23）
日本社会党委員長片山哲を首班とする日本社会党、民主党、国民協同党の三党連立中道内閣。1947年4月の新憲法下最初の総選挙で社会、自由、民主各党とも3分の1弱の議席を獲得したため、国民協同党を含め四党連立内閣が画策されたが、自由党が社会党左派排除を要求し入閣を拒否した結果、三党連立となった。マッカーサーは中道政権成立を支持した。片山内閣は日本国憲法施行に伴い、民法、刑法をはじめ諸法令の整備を行い、また内務省の解体、警察制度の改革、労働省の設置などの改革を進めた。しかし経済政策では新物価体系による労働者への負担増加、価格調整補給金・復興金融金庫融資による傾斜生産方式をとった。唯一の社会主義的政策としての炭鉱国家管理も民主党や石炭鉱業会などの抵抗によって大きく後退し、平野力三農相罷免問題から社会党左派が党内野党化し予算案に反対するに及び、ついに1948年2月10日総辞職に至った。

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