Naruhiko Higashikuni was a Japanese imperial prince, a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 43rd Prime Minister of Japan from 17 August 1945 to 9 October 1945, a period of 54 days. An uncle-in-law of Emperor Hirohito twice over, Prince Higashikuni was the only member of the Japanese imperial family to head a cabinet and was the last general officer of the Imperial Japanese military to become Prime Minister.
Background
Prince Naruhiko was born in Kyoto, the ninth son of Prince Kuni Asahiko (Kuni no miya Asahiko Shinnō) and the court lady Terao Utako. His father, Prince Asahiko, was a son of Prince Fushimi Kuniie (Fushimi no miya Kuniie Shinnō), the twentieth head of the Fushimi-no-miya, the oldest of the sesshu shinnōke or cadet branches of the imperial dynasty from whom an emperor might be chosen in default of a direct heir. Prince Naruhiko was a half-brother of Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi, the father of the future Empress Kōjun, the wife of Emperor Hirohito. His other half-brothers, Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, and Prince Kaya Kuninori, all formed new branches of the imperial family (ōke) during the Meiji period.
Education
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1908, he graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy as a second lieutenant, was promoted to lieutenant in 1910 and to captain in 1913. In 1914, he graduated from the Army War College. He was commissioned a captain in the 29th Infantry Brigade, and promoted to major in the IJA 7th Division in 1915.
Prince Higashikuni then studied military tactics at the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr and 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, 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.
Career
He had a increasingly important command and staff assignments but served primarily in military intelligence to include seven years in Europe. Although ruggedly antiroyalist he got along well with his double nephew-in-law Hirohito. Lt Col Higashikuni was in Paris as a member of Petain’s entourage when Hirohito became regent in 1921 and on a visit to Baden-Baden he held a highly secret meeting of Japanese intelligence officers on 27 Oct 21 to create the Emperor’s cabal.
As a major general was a general staff officer in Tokyo from Dec 29. He then commanded the 5th Inf Bde and the 4th Inf Div as a lieutenant general from Aug 1934. Higashikuni was military councillor and chief of the army aeronautical deptartment before taking command of the 2d Army in China in 1938. Showing good sense and individualism but little aggressiveness, he was promoted to full general in Aug 1939. Then he was CinC, Home Defense Hq and he instead of TOJO might have succeeded Konoye as premier on 16 Oct 1941 if it had not been for the tradition of keeping the royal family out of open involvement in politics.
Higashikuni resigned in Dec 1941 but was recalled to head the “surrender cabinet” when Hirohito indicated willingness for the royal family to accept political leadership at a time of national humiliation. Holding office only for 50 days, 17 Aug - 5 Oct 1945, he resigned to protest MacArthur’s announcement that occupation authorities would dictate changes in Japan’s internal affairs.
Succeeded by Shidehara and promptly receiving permission to become a commoner, Higashikuni operated a variety of shops before declaring bankruptcy. In 1950 he created a new religious order, the Higashikuni-kyo. which the occupation authorities promptly banned. As late as 1964 the prince was still in the news for dubious activities.
Politics
After the course of the war turned against Japan, and the decision was made to accept the Potsdam Declaration, Emperor Hirohito appointed Prince Higashikuni to the position of prime minister on 16 August 1945, replacing 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 American occupation forces over the repeal of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law.
Connections
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, Princess Toshiko (11 May 1896 – 5 March 1978), on 18 May 1915. The couple had four sons.