Eisaku Sato

Eisaku Sato (????; Sat? Eisaku March 27,1901–June 3,1975) was a Japanese politician and the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Prime Minister of Japan, elected on November 9, 1964, and re-elected on February 17, 1967 and January 14, 1970, serving until July 7, 1972.

Related Topics:
March 27 - 1901 - June 3 - 1975 - Japan - Politician - Prime Minister of Japan - November 9 - 1964 - February 17 - 1967 - January 14 - 1970 - July 7 - 1972

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He was born in Tabuse, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and studied law at Tokyo Imperial University, becoming a civil servant in the Ministry of Railways. In 1948, he was named vice-minister for transportation.

Related Topics:
Tabuse - Yamaguchi Prefecture - Law - Tokyo Imperial University - Civil servant - 1948

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He entered the Diet in 1949 as a member of the Liberal Party, and gradually rose through the ranks of Japanese politics, becoming Chief Cabinet Secretary to Shigeru Yoshida, and in 1952, minister of construction. After the Liberal Party merged with the Democratic Party to form the Liberal Democratic Party, Sat? became Minister of Finance in the governments of Nobusuke Kishi (his brother) and Hayato Ikeda.

Related Topics:
Diet - 1949 - Liberal Party - Shigeru Yoshida - 1952 - Democratic Party - Liberal Democratic Party - Nobusuke Kishi - Hayato Ikeda

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Sato succeeded Ikeda after the latter resigned due to ill health. His government was one of the longest-lived in Japanese history, and by the late 1960's he appeared to have single-handed control over the entire Japanese government. He was a popular prime minister due to the growing economy; his foreign policy, which was a balancing act between the interests of the United States and China, was more tenuous. In 1969, Sat? struck a deal with U.S. president Richard Nixon to repatriate Okinawa and remove its nuclear weaponry: this deal was controversial because it allowed the U.S. forces in Japan to maintain bases in Okinawa after repatriation.

Related Topics:
1960's - United States - China - 1969 - Richard Nixon - Okinawa - U.S. forces in Japan

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After three terms as prime minister, Sato decided not to run for a fourth. His heir apparent, Takeo Fukuda, won the Sato faction's support in the subsequent Diet elections, but the more popular MITI minister, Kakuei Tanaka, won the vote, ending the Sat? faction's dominance.

Related Topics:
Takeo Fukuda - MITI - Kakuei Tanaka

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Sato shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Seán MacBride in 1974, in recognition of Japan's entry into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He died in Tokyo the following year.

Related Topics:
Nobel Peace Prize - Seán MacBride - 1974 - Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - Tokyo

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He married Hiroko in 1926 and had two children, Ryutaro and Shinji.

Related Topics:
Hiroko - 1926 - Ryutaro - Shinji

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