Rudder in the Storm: Yoshikazu Tanaka and the Manchurian Question of the Times."

Rudder in the Storm: Yoshikazu Tanaka and the Manchurian Question of the Times."

Yoshikazu Tanaka (1864-1929), the 26th Prime Minister of Japan, faced the Showa financial panic and the Manchurian problem from 1927 to 1929. Although financial bailout measures were taken, a gaffe by Naonen Kataoka triggered the Depression. In addition, the Chang Kuo-Tung incident in Manchuria brought international condemnation, and China's policies led to its isolation. Domestically, falling rice prices and rural problems worsened, and attempts to stabilize the economy failed to resolve them. Tanaka, who had a military background, reflected a military perspective in his foreign and domestic policies, but his hard line policy became a stepping stone to the later Manchurian Incident and militarization of the country. Although his administration was short-lived, he was an important politician who influenced Japan's early Showa period.