1854.9.19.–1936.2.26.
✕ Killed in the February 26 Incident
Finance Minister who left gold and used Bank of Japan bond underwriting to pull Japan out of the Depression first
Born in Edo, Takahashi raised foreign loans for the Russo-Japanese War and was Governor of the Bank of Japan in 1911–13. Appointed Finance Minister in 1913, he joined the Rikken Seiyūkai, and after Hara Takashi's assassination in 1921 became Prime Minister and party president, lasting less than seven months. He returned as Finance Minister in the financial panic of 1927. Named Finance Minister in the Inukai cabinet on 13 December 1931, he re-imposed the gold embargo that day, and from November 1932 had the Bank of Japan underwrite government bonds directly to pay for rural relief works and the war in Manchuria. Japan recovered from 1932, earlier than other countries. Worried about overheating, he tried from 1934 to cut military spending, clashed with the army, and was killed by rebel officers on 26 February 1936.
Activities and affiliations
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1911–1913
Japan state institutionsGovernor of the Bank of Japan
Economy, finance and planning -
1913–1925
Political and party leadership
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1913–1936
Japan state institutionsMinister of FinanceMain
Economy, finance and planning -
1921–1922
Japan state institutionsPrime Minister
Government and administration
Career Timeline
- 1911.06.01–1913.02.20Governor of the Bank of Japan
- 1913Finance Minister; joined the Rikken Seiyūkai
- 1921.11.13–1922.06.12Prime Minister and Seiyūkai president
- 1927–1929Finance Minister in the Tanaka cabinet
- 1931.12.13–1936.02.26Finance Minister; re-imposed the gold embargo and Bank of Japan bond underwriting