Ichiro Kono

Politician. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University in 1923 (Taisho 12), he became a reporter for the Asahi Shimbun. In 1932 (Showa 7), he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives (Kanagawa Prefecture), and has been elected five times in a row ever since. He belonged to the Seiyukai faction led by Hatoyama Ichiro, and was a non-supporting politician during World War II. After the end of the war in 1945 (Showa 20), he followed Hatoyama and participated in the formation of the Liberal Party, becoming its first Secretary-General. He was banned from holding public office in 1946, but was released in 1951. He worked with Miki Bukichi and others to establish a Hatoyama administration, and in 1953 formed the splinter party, the Liberal Party. He later served as Secretary-General of the Japan Liberal Party, and participated in the formation of the Japan Democratic Party in 1954. He became Minister of Agriculture in the first Hatoyama Cabinet in the same year. In 1955, he joined the Liberal Democratic Party after the Conservative merger, and in 1956, as a plenipotentiary, he worked hard to restore diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union. He subsequently served as Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Construction, and Minister of State for the Olympic Games. He was a capable leader of the party's humanitarian faction and had aspired to become Prime Minister, but died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm. Kono Kenzo was his younger brother. His second son, Yohei (1937- ), served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

[Ara Takashi]

"Now is the time to talk," by Kono Ichiro (1958, Shunyodo Shoten)" ▽ "Kono Ichiro Autobiography (1965, Tokuma Shoten)" ▽ "Japan's Future," by Kono Ichiro (1965, Kobunsha)" ▽ "In Memory of Professor Kono," edited by the Biography Publication Committee (1966, Shunjukai)" ▽ "Party Man Kono Ichiro -- The Final Ten Years," by Saeda Yoshito and supervised by Kono Yohei (2010, Shunpusha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治家。神奈川県生まれ。1923年（大正12）早稲田(わせだ)大学政経学部卒業後、朝日新聞記者。1932年（昭和7）衆議院議員（神奈川県）、以来連続5回当選。政友会鳩山一郎(はとやまいちろう)派に属し、第二次世界大戦中は非翼賛議員。1945年（昭和20）終戦後、鳩山に従って自由党結成に参加し、初代幹事長に就任。1946年公職追放を受け1951年解除。三木武吉(みきぶきち)らと鳩山政権樹立に向けて活動し、1953年分党派自由党を結成。その後日本自由党の幹事長を経て1954年日本民主党結成に参加。同年第一次鳩山内閣の農相に就任。1955年の保守合同で自由民主党に所属、1956年全権委員として日ソ国交回復実現に尽力した。以後、経済企画庁長官、農相、建設相、オリンピック担当国務相を歴任。実力ある党人派代表であり、総理総裁の座をねらっていたが、大動脈瘤(りゅう)で急死。河野謙三は弟。次男洋平（1937―　）は衆議院議長を務めた。

［荒　敬］

『河野一郎著『今だから話そう』（1958・春陽堂書店）』▽『『河野一郎自伝』（1965・徳間書店）』▽『河野一郎著『日本の将来』（1965・恒文社）』▽『伝記刊行委員会編『河野先生を偲ぶ』（1966・春秋会）』▽『小枝義人著・河野洋平監修『党人河野一郎――最後の十年』（2010・春風社）』

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