Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni

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"Prince Higashikuni" redirects here. For the Japanese title, see Higashikuni-no-miya.
In this Japanese name, the surname is Higashikuni.
General
Naruhiko, Prince Higashikuni
東久邇宮稔彦王
Formal portrait, c. 1936
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
17 August 1945 – 9 October 1945
MonarchShōwa
Preceded byKantarō Suzuki
Succeeded byKijūrō Shidehara
Minister of the Army
In office
17 August 1945 – 23 August 1945
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byKorechika Anami
Succeeded bySadamu Shimomura
Member of the House of Peers
In office
3 December 1907 – 23 May 1946
Personal details
Born(1887-12-03)3 December 1887
Independent
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1915; died 1978)​
Children
IJA 2nd Army, General Defense Command
Battles/wars
Prince Higashikuni
Tenure3 November 1906 – 14 October 1947
SuccessorTitle abolished
Head of the House of Higashikuni
Tenure3 November 1906 – 20 January 1990
SuccessorNobuhiko Higashikuni
Japanese name
Kanji東久邇宮稔彦王
Transcriptions
RomanizationHigashikuni-no-miya Naruhiko Ō

Naruhiko, Prince Higashikuni (東久邇宮稔彦王, Higashikuni-no-miya Naruhiko Ō; 3 December 1887 – 20 January 1990) was a member of the Japanese imperial family and general of the army who served as prime minister of Japan from 17 August to 9 October 1945. He is the only member of the Japanese imperial family to head a cabinet, and Japan's shortest-serving prime minister, serving for only 54 days.

Born in

Toshiko, Princess Yasu, a daughter of Emperor Meiji, thus making him an uncle-in-law of Emperor Hirohito. He graduated from the Army Academy and War College, and studied military tactics in France from 1920 to 1926. Upon his return to Japan, he was promoted to general in 1930 and held several military posts, including as commander of the General Defense Command from 1941 to 1944. Prince Higashikuni's appointment as prime minister following the war reflected a hope that his prestige as an imperial prince would help to unite the defeated country. He presided over the signing of the surrender on 2 September 1945 and the disbandment of the armed forces before resigning in opposition to an order by the Allied occupation authorities to abolish the Peace Preservation Law
. He became a commoner after the abolition of the princely houses in 1947, and later formed a Buddhist sect. He is the longest-lived of Japan's premiers, dying in 1990 at the age of 102.

Early life

Prince Naruhiko was born on 3 December 1887 in

Meiji period
.

Marriage and family

Emperor Meiji granted Prince Naruhiko the title Higashikuni-no-miya and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 3 November 1906. Prince Naruhiko married the ninth daughter of Emperor Meiji, Toshiko, Princess Yasu (11 May 1896 – 5 March 1978), on 18 May 1915. The couple had four sons.

  1. Prince
    Higashikuni Morihiro (盛厚王, Morohiro ō; 6 May 1916 – 1 February 1969); married Shigeko, Princess Teru, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun
    .
  2. Prince Moromasa (師正王, Moromasa ō; 3 November 1918 – 1 September 1923); died in the Great Kantō earthquake.
  3. Prince Akitsune (彰常王, Akitsune ō; 13 May 1920 – 30 August 2006); renounced imperial title and created
    Marquis
    Awata Akitsune, 1940
  4. Prince Toshihiko (俊彦王, Toshihiko ō; March 24, 1929 – April 15, 2015); renounced imperial title and created Count Tarama Toshihiko, 1943; relocated to Lins, São Paulo, Brazil, 1950.

Military career

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko was a career officer in the

IJA 7th Division
in 1915.

Prince Higashikuni then studied

École Polytechnique in Paris France, from 1920 to 1926, during which time he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1920 and to colonel in 1926. Always somewhat of a rebel, Prince Higashikuni's behavior in Paris scandalized the Imperial Court. He had a French mistress, and enjoyed fast cars and high living. He left his wife and children in Japan, and the death of his second son did not prompt his return. In 1926, the Imperial Household Ministry
dispatched a chamberlain to Paris to collect him.

Upon his return to Japan, he was assigned to the

IJA 2nd Army stationed in China
from 1938–1939. He was promoted to general in August 1939.

According to a memo discovered by historian

poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938.[1] Prince Higashikuni encouraged and enabled human experiments, providing advice, money, men and equipment. He personally witnessed human experiments conducted by the military physicians during his tours in Manchukuo.[2]

On 13 May 1939 the Imperial General Headquarters authorized the use of poison gas to

general, the prince was awarded the Order of the Golden Kite, 1st Class in 1940.[citation needed
]

Before Japan entered the

Hideki Tōjō, and Akira Mutō
. Prince Higashikuni was also the choice of both Chief of Staffs of the Army and the Navy.

However, both Emperor Shōwa and the

Hideki Tōjō as prime minister. In 1946, he explained this decision: "I actually thought Prince Higashikuni suitable as Chief of Staff of the Army; but I think the appointment of a member of the Imperial house to a political office must be considered very carefully. Above all, in time of peace this is fine, but when there is a fear that there may even be a war, then more importantly, considering the welfare of the imperial house, I wonder about the wisdom of a member of the Imperial family serving [as prime minister]."[4]

Six weeks later, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. During the early stages of the Pacific War, Prince Higashikuni served as commander of the General Defense Command from 1941 to 1944.

Autochrome portrait by Auguste Léon, 1920

Prince Higashikuni remained steadfast in his opposition to the war with the Allied powers, and was part of the conspiracy (with Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu, and former prime minister Konoe) which finally ousted Tōjō in July 1944 following the fall of Saipan to American forces. The American researchers with SCAP also found out that he had planned towards the end of the war to depose Emperor Shōwa, placing the Crown Prince Akihito on the throne instead, governing the country with himself as regent.[5]

Prime Minister

Higashikuni Cabinet with Mamoru Shigemitsu, Mitsumasa Yonai and Fumimaro Konoe in front row.

After the course of the war turned against Japan, and the decision was made to accept the Potsdam Declaration, the Emperor Shōwa appointed Prince Higashikuni to be prime minister on 17 August 1945, replacing navy Admiral Kantarō Suzuki. The mission of the Higashikuni Cabinet was twofold: first, to ensure the orderly cessation of hostilities and demobilization of the Japanese armed forces; and second, to reassure the Japanese people that the imperial institution remained secure. Prince Higashikuni resigned in October over a dispute with the Allied occupation forces over the repeal of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law. This law was largely intended to prevent the spread of Communism to Japan.

Post-premiership

On 27 February 1946, Prince Higashikuni gave an interview to the Yomiuri-Hōchi newspaper in which he claimed that many members of the imperial family had approved Emperor Shōwa's abdication, with Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu serving as regent until Crown Prince Akihito came of age.[6] In the government, only Prime Minister Kijūrō Shidehara and the Imperial Household Minister Yoshitami Matsudaira opposed this. On 4 March 1946, Higashikuni gave a similar interview to the Associated Press (reported in The New York Times) indicating that he had proposed to the Emperor possible dates for abdication.[7]

In 1946, Prince Higashikuni asked the emperor for permission to renounce his membership in the Imperial Family and become a commoner. The emperor denied the request. However, along with other members of the Imperial branch families (shinnōke and ōke), Prince Higashikuni lost his title and most of his wealth as a result of the American occupation's abolition of the princely houses on 17 October 1947.

As a private citizen, Higashikuni operated several unsuccessful retail enterprises (including a provisions store, second-hand goods store, and dressmaker's shop). He even created his own new Zen Buddhism-based religious sect, the Higashikuni-kyo, which was subsequently banned by the American occupation authorities.

The former prince became the honorary chairman of the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) in 1957, and honorary president of several other organizations.

In 1958, Higashikuni published his wartime journals under the title, Ichi Kozoku no Senso Nikki (or The War Diary of a Member of the Imperial Family). He published his autobiographical memoirs, Higashikuni Nikki, in 1968.

Death and legacy

Higashikuni died of

Prime Minister Willem Drees
died, until his own death, Higashikuni was the world's oldest living former head of government.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Wakabayashi, Bob Tadashi (1991). "Emperor Hirohito on Localized Aggression in China Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine". Sino-Japanese Studies 4 (1), p. 7.
  2. ISBN 9781-138009110
    .
  3. ^ Peter Wetzler, Hirohito and War, 1998, p. 41
  4. ^ Wetzler, ibid., p. 44, Terasaki Hidenari, Shōwa tennō dokuhakuroku, 1991, p. 118
  5. ^ vgl. Records of the Army Staff: The Investigative Records Repository (IRR) Archived 2007-07-25 at the Wayback Machine released under the Japanese Imperial Government Disclosure Act of 2000
  6. JSTOR 133011
    .
  7. New York Times
    . March 4, 1946. p. 6.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko.

References

Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Japan
Aug – Oct 1945 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Army Minister

Aug 1945 – Aug 1945 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Commander, General Defense Command
Dec 1941 – Apr 1945 		Succeeded by
none
Preceded by Commander, IJA 2nd Army
Apr 1938 – Dec 1939 		Succeeded by
none
Records
Preceded by Oldest living state leader
14 May 1988 – 20 January 1990 		Succeeded by
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