Nomura Kichisaburo

Naval officer and diplomat. Born in Wakayama Prefecture. Graduated from the 26th class of the Naval Academy. Served as a marine instructor and navigation officer of the Chitose. After serving in Austria and Germany, he became a military attaché at the Japanese Embassy in the United States for four years from 1915 (Taisho 4). He attended the Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Naval Treaty Conference as a full-power attendant. He then served as Vice Chief of the Naval General Staff and commander of the Kure and Yokosuka Naval Districts, before losing an eye in the Shanghai bombing incident in 1932 (Showa 7). In 1933, he was promoted to general. In 1937, he was placed in the reserves and appointed president of Gakushuin. In 1939, he became foreign minister in the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet. In 1940, he became ambassador to the United States and was involved in Japan-US negotiations until the outbreak of the Pacific War. The progress of these negotiations was later compiled in "Messenger to the United States: A Retrospective of Japan-US Negotiations." After the peace treaty, he became president of Nippon Victor Company in 1953. He became a member of the House of Councillors in 1954 and served as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Research Council on Foreign Relations.

[Yuji Odabe]

"The Regret of Ambassador Nomura Kichisaburo to the United States - The Men Who Could Not Prevent the Outbreak of War Between Japan and the United States" by Hisashi Oshio (1994, Nihon Keizai Shimbun) " "The Unfortunate Ambassador Nomura Kichisaburo" by Yutaka Toyoda (Kodansha Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

海軍軍人、外交官。和歌山県に生まれる。海軍兵学校26期。海兵教官、「千歳(ちとせ)」航海長などを歴任。オーストリア、ドイツ駐在後、1915年（大正4）から4年間在米日本大使館付武官となる。パリ講和会議、ワシントン海軍軍縮会議に全権随員として出席。その後、軍令部次長、呉(くれ)・横須賀鎮守府司令官などを経て、1932年（昭和7）上海(シャンハイ)爆弾事件で片眼を失う。1933年大将。1937年予備役となり学習院長に任命される。1939年阿部信行(あべのぶゆき)内閣外相。1940年駐米大使となり、太平洋戦争開戦まで日米交渉にあたる。このときの交渉の経過はのちに『米国に使して――日米交渉の回顧』にまとめられた。講和後、1953年（昭和28）日本ビクター社長。1954年参議院議員となり、自民党外交調査会会長などを務める。

［小田部雄次］

『尾塩尚著『駐米大使野村吉三郎の無念――日米開戦を回避できなかった男たち』（1994・日本経済新聞社）』▽『豊田穣著『悲運の大使　野村吉三郎』（講談社文庫）』

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