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Katō Tomosaburō

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(Redirected from Tomozaburo Kato) Prime Minister of Japan from 1922 to 1923 In this Japanese name, the surname is Katō.
Senior Second Rank
Marshal-Admiral ViscountKatō Tomosaburō
加藤 友三郎
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
12 June 1922 – 24 August 1923
MonarchTaishō
RegentHirohito
Preceded byTakahashi Korekiyo
Succeeded byUchida Kosai (Acting)
Minister of the Navy
In office
10 August 1915 – 15 May 1923
Preceded byYashiro Rokuro
Succeeded byTakeshi Takarabe
Personal details
Born(1861-02-22)22 February 1861
Hiroshima Domain, Aki Province, Japan
Died24 August 1923(1923-08-24) (aged 62)
Tokyo, Japan
Cause of deathColon cancer
Resting placeAoyama Cemetery, Tokyo
Political partyIndependent
SpouseKatō Kiyoko (1874–1940)
Alma materImperial Japanese Naval Academy
AwardsOrder of the Chrysanthemum (Grand Cordon)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Branch/service Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service1873–1923
Rank Marshal Admiral
CommandsTsukushi, Naval Affairs Bureau, Kure Naval District, 1st Fleet
Battles/wars

Marshal-Admiral Viscount Katō Tomosaburō (加藤 友三郎, 22 February 1861 – 24 August 1923) was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 1922 to 1923.

Biography

Katō Tomosaburō wears a formal uniform

Born in Hiroshima, Aki Province (modern Hiroshima Prefecture) to a samurai family, Katō enrolled in the 7th class Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and graduated second out of a class of 30 cadets. He specialized in both naval artillery and in navigation.

Naval career

From left to right, Kijūrō Shidehara, Katō and Iesato Tokugawa on November 3, 1921, to attend the Washington Naval Conference.

After his commissioning as lieutenant, Katō served on the corvette Tsukuba in 1887, followed by the cruiser Takachiho. During the First Sino-Japanese War, he served in a combat position as gunnery officer on the cruiser Yoshino. After the end of the war, he served in numerous staff positions before promotion to commander. He was executive officer on the battleship Yashima, and captain of the Tsukushi. He was promoted to rear admiral on 1 September 1904.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Katō served as chief of staff to Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō on the battleship Mikasa, assisting in Japan's victory at the Battle of Tsushima. During this time, he suffered from a very weak stomach, and was vomiting as he issued orders throughout the battle, despite having taken large amounts of medication.

Katō became Vice Minister of the Navy in 1906, and was promoted to vice admiral on 28 August 1908. In 1909, he was appointed commander of the Kure Naval District, and in 1913 became Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet.

Katō became Minister of the Navy in August 1915, days before his promotion to full admiral on 28 August 1915. He served in this post in the cabinets of Ōkuma Shigenobu, Terauchi Masatake, Hara Takashi, and Takahashi Korekiyo. Under Hara and Takahashi, Katō was Japan's chief commissioner plenipotentiary to the Washington Naval Conference, and worked with Ambassador Shidehara Kijurō in the negotiations that led to the Five-Power Treaty.

As Prime Minister

Following his return to Japan, Katō was appointed 21st Prime Minister of Japan in recognition of his performance at the Washington Naval Conference. His cabinet consisted mainly of bureaucrats and members of the House of Peers, which proved unpopular with the Imperial Japanese Army. During his tenure as prime minister, Katō implemented the provisions of the Washington Naval Agreement, withdrew Japanese forces from Shandong in China and ended Japanese participation in the Siberian Intervention. Katō succumbed to late-stage colon cancer and died a little over a year into his term.

Katō was given the honorary rank of Marshal Admiral the day before his death, and posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum and his title raised to shishaku (viscount).

His death came only a week before the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923, and therefore Japan was without a prime minister during that disaster.

Katō's grave is at Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo.

Honors

From the corresponding article in the Japanese Misplaced Pages

References

Books

External links

Notes

  1. Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy
Military offices
Fleet created 2nd Fleet
Chief-of-staff
28 December 1903 - 12 January 1905 		Succeeded byKōichi Fujii
Preceded byShimamura Hayao Combined Fleet & 1st Fleet
Chief-of-staff
12 January 1905 - 20 December 1905 		Combined Fleet
Fleet dissolved; post next held by:
Yamashita Gentarō
1st Fleet
Kōichi Fujii
Political offices
Preceded bySaitō Makoto Vice-Minister of the Navy
8 January 1906 – 1 December 1909 		Succeeded byTakarabe Takeshi
Military offices
Preceded byYamanouchi Masuji Kure Naval District
Commander-in-chief
1 December 1909 - 1 December 1913 		Succeeded byMatsumoto Kazu
Preceded byDewa Shigetō 1st Fleet
Commander-in-chief
1 December 1913 – 10 August 1915 		Succeeded byKōichi Fujii
Political offices
Preceded byYashiro Rokurō Minister of the Navy
8 October 1915 – 15 May 1923 		Succeeded byTakarabe Takeshi
Preceded byTakahashi Korekiyo Prime Minister
16 June 1922 – 24 August 1923 		Succeeded byYamamoto Gonnohyōe
Prime ministers of Japan (list)
Empire of Japan
(1868–1947)
Meiji era
(1868–1912)
Taishō era
(1912–1926)
Shōwa era
(1926–1947)
State of Japan
(1947–present)
Shōwa era
(1947–1989)
Heisei era
(1989–2019)
Reiwa era
(2019–present)
Category
Imperial Japanese Navy
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