Inukai Tsuyoshi

From Kaiserreich

Inukai Tsuyoshi (20 April 1855– 19??) is a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 19??.

Early life

Inukai was born to a former samurai family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province, Okayama Prefecture, and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a journalist. He went with the Imperial Japanese Army to the front during the Satsuma Rebellion as a reporter for the Yubin Hochi Shimbun.

Political career

Inukai helped form the Rikken Kaishinto political party in 1882, which supported liberal political causes, and strongly opposed the domination of the government by members of the former Chōshū and Satsuma domains (hanbatsu). He was first elected to the Lower House of the Imperial Diet in 1890, and was subsequently reelected 17 times.

His first cabinet post was as Minister of Education in the first Okuma Shigenobu administration of 1898, and as Minister of Posts and Communications in the second Yamamoto Gonnohyoe administration.

He was a leading figure in the Shimpoto, the Kenseito and the Rikken Kokuminto" which eventually toppled the government of Katsura Taro in 1913.

In 1922, the Rikken Kokuminto became the Kakushin Kurabu, which joined forces with other minor parties to form the cabinet during the premiership of Kato Takaaki in 1924. During his time, Inukai served on the cabinet again as Minister of Posts and Communications. The Kakushin Kurabu then merged with the Rikken Seiyūkai, and Inukai continued as a senior member. In 1929, after the sudden death of Tanaka Giichi, Inukai became president of the Rikken Seiyūkai.