Politics and Power in 20th-Century Japan: The Reminiscences of Miyazawa Kiichi

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Miyazawa Kiichi played a leading role in Japan's government and politics from 1942 until 2003, during which time he served as Prime Minister, and also as Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Director General of the Economic Planning Agency, and Chief Cabinet Secretary. In this oral history autobiography, he discusses with candor and detail a wide range of topics, including his 1939 visit to the United States, recovery policies during the postwar occupation, the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and Japan's role in international organizations such as GATT and OECD, and gives a thoughtful insider's view of six decades of Japanese politics, closing with his thoughts on Japan's role in the 21st century. Miyazawa's testimony contains the unmistakable richness of the words of one who was present as history was being made. The political candor, unmatched scope, and largely first-person narrative make this book unique.

Reviews

Kiichi Miyazawa, prime minister from 1991 to 1993 was at the center of Japanese politics from 1942 when he entered the Finance Ministry until 2003, when he retired from the House of Representatives. No Japanese prime minister was as skilled in English or kept up better on economic matters in the West. He played a key role during the Allied Occupation, in negotiations with the United States during the period of economic tensions. He worked with U.S. presidents from Jack Kennedy to William Clinton. His close relatives included a member of the House of Representatives (his father and nephew), the first Japanese ambassador to China after normalization in 1972 (cousin), governor of Hiroshima (brother). He was especially close to Ikeda Hayato (also from Hiroshima) and Ohira Masayoshi (same faction). As prime minister he approved the visit of the Japanese Emperor to China in 1992. By nature he was modest, honest, straight-forward. We are fortunate that he gave an oral account of his own history, available here in an excellent translation by Timothy George. * Ezra Vogel, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, USA *
Miyazawa Kiichi was one of Japans most distinguished statesmen from the immediate post-war period until his death in 2007. He occupied several of the most important offices of State, having been Prime Minister between 1991 and 1993, and Minister of Finance for extended periods. His reminiscences, ably translated here by Professor Timothy George, present the experiences, outlook and general philosophy of a liberal and internationalist practitioner of the political arts, who had a major influence on the formation of Japanese economic policy, and represented the moderate wing of the broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In contrast to the situation since December 2012, where the balance of forces in the LDP have swung towards hard-line nationalism, Miyazawa, having experienced wartime Japan, was at ease with the Peace Constitution and the benefits that cautious and non-provocative foreign and defence policies brought for his country. This book indicates how much has changed, and not necessarily for the better. * Arthur Stockwin, Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, UK *
Kiichi Miyazawa, prime minister from 1991 to 1993 was at the center of Japanese politics from 1942 when he entered the Finance Ministry until 2003, when he retired from the House of Representatives. No Japanese prime minister was as skilled in English or kept up better on economic matters in the West. He played a key role during the Allied Occupation, in negotiations with the United States during the period of economic tensions. We are fortunate that he gave an oral account of his own history, available here in an excellent translation by Timothy George. * Ezra Vogel, Harvard University, USA *

Author Bio

Timothy S. George is Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island, USA. Mikuriya Takashi is Professor at the Open University of Japan. Nakamura Takafusa was a professor at Tokyo University, Ochanomizu Women's University and Toyo Eiwa University, Japan.