Inukai Tsuyoshi

Inukai Tsuyoshi was a Japanese statesman who served as the prime minister of Japan from 1931 to 1932. He was a leading figure of the Rikken Seiyūkai political party and a supporter of liberal and nationalist causes. He was born in 1855 in a samurai family and graduated from Keio University. He worked as a journalist and became involved in politics as a member of the Rikken Kaishintō, which advocated for a British-style constitutional monarchy. He held various cabinet posts, including minister of education, communications, and home affairs. He also founded a newspaper, the Kokumin Shimbun, and a private school, the Kokumin Gakkō. He was a close friend of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China, and visited China and Vietnam several times to lend aid to their movements for democracy and independence. He also supported the Indian independence movement and met with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931. He became the prime minister of Japan in 1931, after the Manchurian Incident, which led to the Japanese invasion of China. He tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement with China and to restrain the expansionist ambitions of the Japanese military. He also attempted to improve relations with the United States and the United Kingdom, which were critical of Japan's aggression in Asia. However, he faced strong opposition from the ultranationalist factions within the army and the society, who accused him of being weak and pro-Chinese. He was assassinated by a group of young naval officers on May 15, 1932, in an attempted coup d'état known as the May 15 Incident. His death marked the end of party participation in the Japanese government and the rise of militarism in Japan. He was succeeded by his son, Inukai Takeru, who became a prominent politician and diplomat. He is buried at the Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.