12 Facts About Okinori Kaya

Okinori Kaya was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as Minister of Finance from 1937 to 1938 and 1941 to 1944, and as Minister of Justice from 1963 to 1964.

Okinori Kaya Fujii was born on January 30,1889, in Hiroshima, as the son of a scholar.

Okinori Kaya attended the prestigious First Higher School in Tokyo where he was classmates with Jotaro Kawakami, who became a socialist leader later in life.

Okinori Kaya became chief of the Budget Bureau in 1934, of the Finance Bureau in 1936, and in 1937 he was appointed vice minister under Finance Minister Toyotaro Yuki.

Okinori Kaya served until the end of the cabinet in May 1938, and was afterwards appointed a lifetime member of the House of Peers.

Okinori Kaya remained in this position until he was reappointed Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Hideki Tojo in October 1941.

Okinori Kaya was paroled in 1955 and his sentence was later commuted to time already served.

Okinori Kaya became a private adviser to Kishi when the latter became prime minister in 1957.

Okinori Kaya was elected to the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party in the 1958 general election.

Okinori Kaya was part of the Kishi's faction, but was close to his former subordinate Ikeda.

Okinori Kaya retired from the Diet in 1972 and died in 1977.

Okinori Kaya was an advocate for strong ties with Taiwan, South Korea and the United States.