24 Facts About Mitsumasa Yonai

Mitsumasa Yonai was a Japanese navy officer and politician.

Mitsumasa Yonai served as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Minister of the Navy, and Prime Minister of Japan in 1940.

Mitsumasa Yonai entered Kajicho Elementary School in 1886, and entered Morioka Middle School in 1890.

Mitsumasa Yonai rose to the rank of captain in December 1920 and was sent as naval attache to Poland from 1921 to 1922.

Mitsumasa Yonai was promoted to rear admiral on December 1,1925.

Mitsumasa Yonai became Chief of the 3rd Section of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in December 1926.

Mitsumasa Yonai was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the First Expeditionary Fleet, sent to the Yangtze River in China in December 1928.

Mitsumasa Yonai was given command of the IJN 3rd Fleet in December 1932, following which he again commanded the Sasebo Naval District, IJN 2nd Fleet and Yokosuka Naval District before receiving appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet and concurrently the IJN 1st Fleet in December 1936.

Mitsumasa Yonai was visiting his mistress in Shinbashi the night the attempted coup d'etat began, only a couple of blocks away, but knew nothing of the situation until he returned to base the following morning.

Mitsumasa Yonai became full admiral in April 1937 and Navy Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Senjuro Hayashi in 1937.

Mitsumasa Yonai served in the same position under the subsequent first Fumimaro Konoe and Kiichiro Hiranuma administrations, through August 1939.

Mitsumasa Yonai's speeches tended to be short, and were delivered in his almost indecipherable Nambu accent.

However, Mitsumasa Yonai supported the construction of the Yamato-class battleships in an effort to maintain a military balance with the world's other two naval superpowers.

Mitsumasa Yonai was appointed the Prime Minister of Japan and formed his cabinet from January 6,1940, largely with the backing of Emperor Hirohito.

When Hata resigned, Mitsumasa Yonai was forced to resign on July 21,1940.

Mitsumasa Yonai served as the Deputy Prime Minister and concurrently as the Navy Minister again under the cabinet of Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso from July 22,1944, during which time he returned to the active duty roster from the reserve list.

Mitsumasa Yonai remained Navy Minister under the administration of Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki.

Mitsumasa Yonai remained Navy Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni and cabinet of Prime Minister Kijuro Shidehara from August 1945, during which time he presided over the final dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Mitsumasa Yonai played a major role during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in working with the major defendants, such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, to coordinate their testimonies so that Emperor Hirohito would be spared from indictment.

Mitsumasa Yonai suffered from high blood pressure most of his life, but died of pneumonia on 20 April 1948 at the age of 68.

Mitsumasa Yonai's grave is located at the temple of Enko-ji in his hometown of Morioka.

Therefore, Mitsumasa Yonai clearly announced his opinion: the Imperial Japanese Navy would lose if it attacked the Royal Navy and the United States Navy.

Mitsumasa Yonai's prompt action as the supreme commander tranquilized the Sasebo Naval District.

Mitsumasa Yonai intended not to control his cabinet ministers by naval influences.