43 Facts About Etsusaburo Shiina

Etsusaburo Shiina was a career bureaucrat and politician.

The Goto family claimed descent from the famed rangaku scholar Takano Choei, whose childhood name was "Saburo Etsu", and thus Shiina was named "Etsusaburo" in his honor.

However, his father went bankrupt due to business issues and Etsusaburo Shiina was forced to work during the day and attempted to study at night.

Etsusaburo Shiina departed for Tokyo during his fourth year of high school and suffered from various difficulties until the family's fortune changed due to royalties received on hydroelectric development projects in the Isawa River and due to a connection via marriage with Tokyo governor Goto Shimpei.

Etsusaburo Shiina was thus able to enter the Law School of Tokyo Imperial University and he changed his name from Goto to Etsusaburo Shiina.

Etsusaburo Shiina was sent to Europe in August 1932 to observe the measures and industrial policies of the European countries during the Great Depression and returned home in May 1933.

At the request of Nobusuke Kishi, Etsusaburo Shiina was one of the first officials of the Japanese Ministry of Commerce and Industry to join the new Manchukuo administration.

Etsusaburo Shiina arrived in Shinkyo in October 1933 as Director of the Planning and Coordination Bureau of the Manchukuo Ministry of Industry.

Etsusaburo Shiina led an industrial survey of Manchukuo for three years.

In July 1937, Etsusaburo Shiina assumed the position of Director of Mining and Industry.

However, in 1939, Etsusaburo Shiina asked to resign his posts and to return to Japan.

Kishi, together with Yoshisuke Aikawa, offered him an executive role in the Manchurian Industrial Development Company, but Etsusaburo Shiina refused and returned to Japan in April 1939.

Etsusaburo Shiina was the director of the department responsible for chemical products.

Arakazu Ojima, who was recommended by Etsusaburo Shiina, was appointed as the Vice Minister of Commerce and Industry, and succeeded Kishi.

In July 1944, the Tojo Cabinet was forced to resign; however, Etsusaburo Shiina remained in his post.

Etsusaburo Shiina was again made vice minister of Commerce and Industry to construct a new organization for the post-war economic reconstruction.

Etsusaburo Shiina was interrogated eight times by the American occupation authorities, but was not arrested.

Etsusaburo Shiina was however, purged from public office in November 1947.

Etsusaburo Shiina was appointed as president of Tohoku Shinko Textile Industry Co.

Etsusaburo Shiina acquired Daito Boshoku's Kanamachi factory in Tokyo and purchased new equipment.

Immediately after resigning, Etsusaburo Shiina had a breakdown and was hospitalized.

In 1951 Etsusaburo Shiina ran for a seat in the lower house during the 1952 Japanese general election; however, he was unable to obtain assistance from Kishi who had suffered a big loss the previous year.

Etsusaburo Shiina turned to Kishi's younger brother, Eisaku Sato, for official recognition from the Liberal Party, but Sato refused, and introduced him to the party's election measures chief Saeki Ozawa, the father of Ichiro Ozawa, who refused to certify Shiina.

At the invitation of Kishi, who had become secretary general of the Democratic Party, Etsusaburo Shiina was nominated 1955 Japanese general election as an official candidate of the Japanese Democratic Party.

In February 1957, the Kishi became Prime Minister and Etsusaburo Shiina is appointed as the party treasury bureau chief, even though he had only won one election.

Etsusaburo Shiina was appointed as Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Second Kishi Cabinet despite the fact that he had only won election twice.

Kishi defended his choice of Etsusaburo Shiina stating that he was essential to negotiating the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan.

Etsusaburo Shiina won reelection for a third time in the 1960 Japanese general election, and was appointed Minister of International Trade and Industry in the Second Ikeda Cabinet.

Etsusaburo Shiina's general manager and accountant, Masazo Matsukawa, was placed on the police "most wanted list", and it was later revealed that the haven where he had been hidden is a company-owned house of one of Shiina's business acquaintances, with Shiina's secretaries providing him with financial assistance.

Etsusaburo Shiina resigned in June 1961, and afterwards Matsukawa finally surrendered to the authorities and was convicted in March 1962.

Etsusaburo Shiina remained in this post under the First Sato Cabinet.

The agreement was severely criticized by opposition parties, newspapers and students in both countries, and Etsusaburo Shiina survived votes of no confidence by the Japan Communist Party and Japan Socialist Party on his return.

In December 1966, Etsusaburo Shiina was made LDP general council chairman.

Etsusaburo Shiina led a faction in favor of Tanaka, and Tanaka became Prime Minister.

When Tanaka decided to normalize diplomatic relations between Japan and the People's Republic of China, Etsusaburo Shiina was sent as a special envoy to visit Taiwan to explain the situation to President Chiang Kai-shek.

Etsusaburo Shiina officially expressed the idea that Japan would continue to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

However, this was different from the LDP's policy, and after Etsusaburo Shiina returned from Taiwan, Prime Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira met with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing, and it was agreed that Japan would sever relations with Taiwan.

In 1974, the relationship between Japan and South Korea deteriorated over the kidnapping of Kim Dae-jung from Japan, and in September, Tanaka requested Etsusaburo Shiina to meet with South Korean President Park Chung Hee to calm the issue.

In December 1974, Etsusaburo Shiina issued a ruling to the major factions of the party that Takeo Miki should succeed Tanaka.

Etsusaburo Shiina continued to serve as Vice President of the LDP under Miki, but soon had falling out over differences in policy over political contributions and the idea of a single-member constituency system.

In May 1976, Etsusaburo Shiina used the Lockheed Scandal as cover to seek the resignations of Tanaka, Fukuda, Ohira and Miki from politics.

On 30 September 1979, Etsusaburo Shiina was hospitalized at Keio University Hospital and died at the age of 81.

Etsusaburo Shiina was buried in the Shunjuen Cemetery in Kawasaki, Kanagawa.