岸 信介(1896―1987)
旧姓佐藤、岸信政の養子となる。東大法学部卒業後農商務省に入り、早くから革新的な少壮官僚として注目される。
昭和十一年(1936)満州国産業部次長となり、満州の経済を実質的に動かした。 太平洋戦争末期に東条英機内閣の商工大臣、国務大臣に就任。終戦後追放されたが、解除後ただちに政界に復帰。日本民主党幹事長、次いで総裁となり、昭和三十二年(1957)内閣総理大臣に就任、二次にわたって内閣を組織した。
時流を見極める目を持ち、官僚出身政治家の典型といわれるが、第二次内閣では日米安全保障条約の改定を強行、発効とともに辞職した。
昭和五十四年(1979)国会議員を引退するが、なお政界に隠然たる影響力を持ち、昭和の怪物、巨魁などと呼ばれた。
同年国連平和賞受賞。昭和六十二年(1987)逝去。
享年九十二。
Kishi Nobusuke(1896―1987)
Maiden name, Sato, he was adopted by Kishi Nobumasa. After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he entered the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and quickly gained attention as an innovative young bureaucrat. In 1936 (the 11th year of Showa), he became the Deputy Director of the Manchurian Ministry of Industry, where he played a substantial role in the Manchurian economy. In the later stages of the Pacific War, he served as the Minister of Commerce
and Industry and the Minister of State in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. After being expelled following the end of the war, he quickly returned to the political scene once the ban was lifted. He became the Secretary-General of the Japan Democratic Party and subsequently became the president of the same party. In 1957 (the 32nd year of Showa era), he assumed the position of Prime Minister of Japan and formed cabinets in two separate terms.
He was known for his ability to discern the trends of the times and is considered a typical example of a bureaucrat-turned-politician. During his second term as Prime Minister, he forcefully pushed for the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and resigned upon its enactment. Although he retired from parliamentary activities in 1979 (the 54th year of Showa era), he continued to wield significant influence in the political arena, earning nicknames like "monster in Showa" and
"great leader". In the same year, he received the United Nations Peace Prize. He passed away in 1987 (the 62th year of Showa era) at the age of 92.