1. Kenkichi Yoshizawa was a Japanese diplomat in the Empire of Japan, serving as 46th Foreign Minister of Japan in 1932.
14 Facts About Kenkichi Yoshizawa
1. 2.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was the father-in-law of Sadao Iguchi, a diplomat who served as Ambassador to the United States, and maternal grandfather of Sadako Ogata, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and maternal grandfather of Yutaka Kawashima, a former Grand Chamberlain of Japan.
3.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was a graduate of the English literature department of the Tokyo Imperial University and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1899.
4.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was assigned to the Japanese consulate in Amoy, China in 1902, and later to the consulate in Shanghai.
5.
In 1905, Kenkichi Yoshizawa married Misao Inukai, the eldest daughter of politician Tsuyoshi Inukai, and moved to London.
6.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa continued to live in England for the next several years, eventually becoming First Secretary to the Japanese embassy.
7.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was given the post of Consul-General in Hankou, China in 1912.
8.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa later served as Japanese ambassador to France and official representative to the League of Nations.
9.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was appointed to the cabinet of his father-in-law, Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi, as Foreign Minister from 14 January 1932 to 26 May 1932.
10.
On receiving word of his appointment, Kenkichi Yoshizawa traveled from Europe back to Japan via the Trans-Siberian Railway and Manchuria to see conditions first-hand.
11.
However, Kenkichi Yoshizawa received an appointment to the House of Peers by command of Emperor Showa, and joined the Rikken Seiyukai political party.
12.
Kenkichi Yoshizawa was assigned to present a new set of demands on the Dutch government in Batavia, which were deliberately intended to be unacceptable.
13.
The negotiations dragged on unsuccessfully, and on 11 June 1941, the Liaison Meeting of the Imperial General Headquarters and Government decided to recall Kenkichi Yoshizawa and terminate the talks.
14.
The latter was worried that he might receive a declaration of war, but to his relief Kenkichi Yoshizawa only handed him a draft declaration stating that the negotiations had ended without an agreement.