Hirokichi Nadao
灘尾 弘吉
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
1 February 1979 – 19 May 1980
MonarchHirohito
Preceded byShigeru Hori
Succeeded byHajime Fukuda
90th Minister of Education
In office
25 November 1967 – 30 November 1968
CabinetEisaku Satō II First Reformed Cabinet
Preceded byToshihiro Kennoki
Succeeded byMichita Sakata
82nd-83rd Minister of Education
In office
18 July 1962[citation needed] – 18 July 1964
CabinetHayato Ikeda II Second Reformed Cabinet
Hayato Ikeda II Third Reformed Cabinet
Hayato Ikeda III
Preceded byMasuo Araki
Succeeded byKiichi Aichi
37th Minister of Health and Welfare
In office
18 July 1961 – 18 July 1962
CabinetHayato Ikeda II First Reformed Cabinet
Preceded byYoshimi Furui
Succeeded byEiichi Nishimura
77th Minister of Education
In office
12 June 1958 – 31 December 1958
Preceded byTou Matsunaga
Succeeded byRyogo Hashimoto
74th/75th Minister of Education
In office
23 December 1956 – 10 July 1957
Preceded byIchirō Kiyose
Succeeded byTou Matsunaga
33rd Governor of Oita Prefecture
In office
7 January 1941 – 15 June 1942[citation needed]
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
2 October 1952 – 27 November 1983
ConstituencyHiroshima 1st District
Personal details
Born21 December 1899
Ōgaki, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Died22 January 1994 (94 years old)
Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan[citation needed]
Political partyLiberal
Liberal Democratic
Independent
Alma materTokyo Imperial University
AwardsJunior Second Rank
Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class (Order of the Paulownia Flowers)

Hirokichi Nadao (Japanese: 灘尾 弘吉; 21 December 1899 – 22 January 1994) was a Japanese politician. Throughout his career, he served as Minister of Education multiple times, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minister of Health and Welfare, and Governor of Oita Prefecture.

Nadao was known for his hawkish attitudes. He held an aggressive stance towards Nikkyoso, the teachers' union of Japan, and unions in general (represented by Sōhyō). He was also one of the main people behind Prime Minister Eisaku Satō's foreign policy. In the mid-1970s, he was regarded as one of the most powerful men in Japan.

Career

Statue of Nadao at Hiroshima Castle
Statue of Nadao at Hiroshima Castle

Nadao was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1899. He graduated with a degree in jurisprudence from Tokyo Imperial University and joined the Home Ministry, rising to the position of Vice Minister[1] pre-war.[2] During the war, he served as Governor of Oita Prefecture.[3]

After the war, Nadao became one of the main people who pushed through the 1954 Police Law (as Minister of Health and Welfare at the time).[4] He was also a member of the "Taiwan faction" of Japanese politics, influencing the foreign policy of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō. He served as the chairman of the Diet Members' Talkfest on Japan-China Relations, visiting Taipei with a delegation to meet with Chiang Kai-Shek in 1959 (the first time any Japanese politician had done so since the cutting of ties with Taipei).[5] In March 1973, Nadao created the LDP Members' Talkfest on Japan-China Relations.[6]

As Education Minister, Nadao was one of the chairmen of the Education System Research Council.[7] Under the premiership of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, Nadao was hawkish towards the teacher's union, Nikkyoso, and the general council for trade unions, Sōhyō, arguing that teachers should not argue for better wages because they should teach based on their conviction and duty to their noble profession.[8] His stand against Nikkyoso was what he was known for within the Ministry of Education, and lumped him in with other members of the "education-public peace" or "law and order" clique,[7] or Bunkyo-chian zoku.[4]

Nadao was also responsible for policies pushing national identity through education. In 1968, he voiced his support for teaching children about the Emperor of Japan, his descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu, and the formation of the Japanese monarchy.[9] He also called for an reevaluation of the 6-3-3-4 system (6 years of primary school, 3 years of junior secondary school, 3 years of senior secondary school, and 4 years of university).[10]

After having served as Minister of Education multiple times, Nadao became a main member of the Education Committee of the LDP.[2] In 1976, Nadao was named as one of the most powerful men in Japanese politics.[11]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Consulate-General of Japan, Chicago 1955, p. 9.
  2. ^ a b Anderson 1975, p. 263.
  3. ^ Consulate-General of Japan, Chicago 1961, p. 2.
  4. ^ a b Garson 1984, p. 452.
  5. ^ Hsiao 1974, p. 723.
  6. ^ Wei 2012, p. 82.
  7. ^ a b Schoppa 2002, p. 79.
  8. ^ Schoppa 2002, p. 62.
  9. ^ Armstrong 1976, p. 283.
  10. ^ Park 1982, p. 326.
  11. ^ Johnson 1976, p. 31.

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