Hitoshi Ashida

Hitoshi Ashida
芦田 均
Official portrait, 1948
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
10 March 1948  15 October 1948
MonarchHirohito
GovernorDouglas MacArthur
DeputySuehiro Nishio
Preceded byTetsu Katayama
Succeeded byShigeru Yoshida
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
1 June 1947  15 October 1948
Prime MinisterTetsu Katayama
Himself
Preceded byTetsu Katayama (acting)
Succeeded byShigeru Yoshida
Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
In office
1 June 1947  10 March 1948
Prime MinisterTetsu Katayama
Preceded byKijūrō Shidehara
Succeeded bySuehiro Nishio
Minister of Health and Welfare
In office
9 October 1945  22 May 1946
Prime MinisterKijūrō Shidehara
Preceded byKenzō Matsumura
Succeeded byYoshinari Kawai
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
21 February 1932  20 June 1959
ConstituencyKyoto 3rd (1932–1946)
Kyoto at-large (1946–1947)
Kyoto 2nd (1947–1959)
Personal details
Born(1887-11-15)15 November 1887
Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Died20 June 1959(1959-06-20) (aged 71)
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Political partyLDP (1955–1959)
Other political
affiliations
Rikken Seiyūkai (before 1940)
IRAA (1940–1945)
JLP (1945–1947)
DP (1947–1950)
NDP (1950–1952)
Kaishintō (1952–1954)
JDP (1954–1955)
Spouse
Sumi Hase
(m. 1918)
Alma materTokyo Imperial University
Signature

Hitoshi Ashida (芦田 均, Ashida Hitoshi; 15 November 1887 – 20 June 1959) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan in 1948. He was a prominent figure in the immediate postwar political landscape, but was forced to resign his leadership responsibilities after a corruption scandal (Shōwa Denkō Jiken) targeting two of his cabinet ministers.