11 Facts About Kan Abe

Kan Abe was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946.

Kan Abe was born on 29 April 1894, in Heki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the eldest son of Kan Abe Hyosuke and his wife Tame.

The Kan Abe family was a prominent family of landowners and sake and soy sauce brewers in Heki who had served as nanushi in the Edo period.

Kan Abe's father was from the Mukunoki family, a prominent family in Otsu, who was adopted into his wife's family upon marriage.

Kan Abe graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, the predecessor of the University of Tokyo.

Kan Abe stood as a Seiyukai Party candidate in the February 1928 general election but lost; he was appointed village mayor of Heki in 1933 and later served in the Yamaguchi prefectural assembly.

Kan Abe was elected to the House of Representatives as an independent candidate in the February 1937 general election.

Kan Abe earned the nickname "New Shoin" or "Showa Shoin" in honor of the earlier leader from Yamaguchi, Yoshida Shoin.

The Tojo cabinet had attempted to block antiwar candidates from running through a registration system, notwithstanding which Kan Abe won a Diet seat, which he used for an attempt to oust Tojo and end World War II.

Kan Abe was assisted in this effort by Takeo Miki, who became prime minister after the war.

Kan Abe died of a heart attack in January 1946 while preparing to run in the first post-war general election.