Nobusuke Kishi

Politician. Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Eisaku Sato was his younger brother. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University in 1920 (Taisho 9) after graduating from the former First Higher School, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. In 1931 (Showa 6), he was involved in drafting and implementing the Important Industries Control Law at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and thereafter, as the leader of the reformist bureaucrats, he strengthened ties with the military (the control faction). In 1936, he resigned as Director of the Construction Bureau and traveled to Manchuria as Deputy Director of the Business Department of "Manchukuo", where he implemented the Manchurian Industrial Development Five-Year Plan and promoted the militarization of the economy of "Manchukuo" as the person in charge. After returning to Japan, he became Vice Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1940. In 1941, he became Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Tojo Hideki cabinet, and co-signed the Imperial Rescript on the Declaration of War on the Start of the Pacific War. In 1942, he was elected in the Imperial Rule Assistance Election and gained a political base. In 1943, he became Minister of State and Vice Minister of Munitions, effectively becoming the highest leader of the wartime economic system. After Japan's defeat in the war, he was arrested as a suspected Class A war criminal, but was released at the end of 1948 (Showa 23). In 1952, his ban from holding public office was lifted and he formed the Japan Reconstruction Association. In March 1953, he joined the Liberal Party, and was elected in the general election the following month (Yamaguchi 2nd district), returning to politics. As chairman of the party's Constitution Research Committee, he advocated constitutional revision and rearmament. In 1954, he was expelled from the Liberal Party along with Ichiro Hatoyama and others, and participated in the formation of the Japan Democratic Party, becoming its Secretary-General. After the Conservatives merged in 1955, he became Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party. The following year, he lost the presidential election to Tanzan Ishibashi, and became Foreign Minister in the Ishibashi Cabinet. In February 1957, when Prime Minister Ishibashi resigned due to illness, he was elected President of the LDP and formed a cabinet. He forced through revisions to the Japan-US Security Treaty amid a national opposition movement, and resigned en masse in July 1960. He served as a member of the House of Representatives until 1979. As a former prime minister, he served as the LDP's top advisor. He is considered a typical bureaucrat-politician who was adept at swiftly adapting to changing circumstances, and excelling in situational judgment and political power.

[Ara Takashi]

"The Life of Kishi Nobusuke" by Yoshimoto Shigeyoshi (1957, Toyo Shokan)" ▽ "Recollections of Kishi Nobusuke" by Kishi Nobusuke and others (1981, Bungeishunju)" ▽ "My Youth" by Kishi Nobusuke (1983, Kosaido Publishing)" ▽ "Memoirs of Kishi Nobusuke" (1983, Kosaido Publishing) ▽ "Showa Era Leader Kishi Nobusuke and a Comprehensive History of Japan-U.S. Relations" by Takahashi Masanori (2000, Mikasa Shobo)" ▽ "Kishi Nobusuke: Showa Era Revolutionary" by Iwami Takao (Gakuyo Shobo, Jinbutsu Bunko)" ▽ "Kishi Nobusuke - A Powerful Politician" by Hara Akihisa (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治家。山口県生まれ。佐藤栄作は実弟。旧制一高を経て1920年（大正9）東京帝国大学法学部を卒業し、農商務省に入省。1931年（昭和6）商工省で重要産業統制法の立案・実施にあたり、以降革新官僚の頭目として軍部（統制派）との連携を強めた。1936年、工務局長を辞し「満州国」実業部次長として渡満、満州産業開発五か年計画を実施し、実際上の責任者として「満州国」の経済軍事化を推進した。帰国後、1940年商工次官。1941年東条英機(とうじょうひでき)内閣の商工大臣となり、太平洋戦争開戦の詔書に連署した。1942年翼賛選挙で当選し、政治基盤を獲得。1943年国務大臣兼軍需次官として戦時経済体制の実質的な最高指導者となった。敗戦後、A級戦犯容疑者として逮捕されたが、1948年（昭和23）末釈放。1952年公職追放を解除され、日本再建連盟を結成。1953年3月自由党に入り、翌月の総選挙に当選し（山口2区）政界復帰。党内の憲法調査会長として憲法改正・再軍備を唱道した。1954年鳩山一郎(はとやまいちろう)らとともに自由党を除名され日本民主党結成に参加、幹事長となった。1955年保守合同後、自由民主党の幹事長。翌年総裁選で石橋湛山(いしばしたんざん)に敗れ、石橋内閣の外相に就任。1957年2月石橋首相の病気退陣により自民党総裁に選ばれ内閣を組織した。日米安全保障条約の改定を国民的な反対運動のなかで強行したため、1960年7月総辞職した。以後1979年まで衆議院議員。首相経験者として自民党最高顧問を務めた。状況変化に俊敏に対応し、変わり身が早く、情勢判断力・政治力にたけた典型的な官僚政治家とみなされている。

［荒　敬］

『吉本重義著『岸信介伝』（1957・東洋書館）』▽『岸信介他著『岸信介の回想』（1981・文芸春秋）』▽『岸信介著『我が青春』（1983・広済堂出版）』▽『『岸信介回顧録』（1983・広済堂出版）』▽『高橋正則著『昭和の巨魁　岸信介と日米関係通史』（2000・三笠書房）』▽『岩見隆夫著『岸信介　昭和の革命家』（学陽書房・人物文庫）』▽『原彬久著『岸信介――権勢の政治家』（岩波新書）』

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