NOBUSUKE KISHI

Kishi was an ultra conservative who was one of the politicians who signed the Declaration of War against the U. S. and then served in the Japanese War Cabinet and was the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In the latter post he presided over and made policies about the utilization of slave labor and brutal and illegal treatment of prisoners of war. After Japan’s surrender he was jailed as a “Class A” war crimes suspect along with several other cabinet ministers. In 1948, General MacArthur decided not to prosecute the Cabinet Ministers as he had decided not to prosecute the Emperor Hirohito. His brother was the secretary to the prime minister’s cabinet who had arranged a job for him. However, all the people in government were now building a democratic government. Being a right wing pro military, pro empire politician was no longer feasible and he discovered all his ex-colleagues who hated democracy before were now extolling its virtues. He went with the flow, and reorganized his political constituency, and gained control of the Diet, but now they were all democrats. Then he became prime minister. He was an ardent anti-communist and the Cold War was raging so his previous right wing dictatorial, pro war positions and his war crimes were overlooked by MacArthur and the allies.

Kishi was an ultra conservative who was one of the politicians who signed the Declaration of War against the U. S. and then served in the Japanese War Cabinet and was the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In the latter post he presided over and made policies about the utilization of slave labor and brutal and illegal treatment of prisoners of war. After Japan’s surrender he was jailed as a “Class A” war crimes suspect along with several other cabinet ministers. In 1948, General MacArthur decided not to prosecute the Cabinet Ministers as he had decided not to prosecute the Emperor Hirohito. His brother was the secretary to the prime minister’s cabinet who had arranged a job for him. However, all the people in government were now building a democratic government. Being a right wing pro military, pro empire politician was no longer feasible and he discovered all his ex-colleagues who hated democracy before were now extolling its virtues. He went with the flow, and reorganized his political constituency, and gained control of the Diet, but now they were all democrats. Then he became prime minister. He was an ardent anti-communist and the Cold War was raging so his previous right wing dictatorial, pro war positions and his war crimes were overlooked by MacArthur and the allies.