Word: kishi
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Reddened Windows. The showdown began on Wednesday night, when Kishi summoned a Cabinet meeting in his official residence across from the white granite Diet building. As the 17 ministers assembled shortly after midnight, the windows were reddened by the glare of flames from police trucks set ablaze by 14,000 rioters outside. They could hear the howl of the mob as it acclaimed the martyrdom of a 22-year-old coed named Michiko Kamba, who had been trampled as the stone-throwing mob reeled backward under the charge of 4,000 nightstick-swinging policemen...
Speaking in level tones, Kishi explained that the U.S. Government had advised Japan that "postponement" of Eisenhower's visit could be requested right up to the time Ike left Manila. But after that, it would be very awkward. Kishi said the "anti-Ike" demonstrations were clearly the work of international Communism, whose basic aim was to disrupt friendly relations between the U.S. and Japan...
Drumming Thud. Tough-minded Ha-yato Ikeda, the Minister of Trade, agreed with Kishi, said that "to postpone the visit would be to bow to Communist pressure." But Minister of State Akagi strongly advised cancellation. Kishi turned to National Police Director Ishiwara and asked his opinion. Japan's top cop replied cautiously, "There is a limit to the guarantees the police can give about protecting the President," and urged Kishi to "reconsider" the invitation to Ike. Two other Cabinet members said they thought the police chief's advice should be accepted. None of the others had anything...
...next morning, at his private home in Shibuya suburb, Kishi was visited by a prominent member of the Imperial household. In what amounted to a command from the Emperor himself, Kishi was told that the Imperial chamberlains had decided that Emperor Hirohito, who was scheduled to ride with Eisenhower from the Tokyo airport, could "not be put in a position where he might be involved in politics." Obviously, the chamberlains feared that any attack on the bulletproof, chrysanthemum-paneled imperial limousine would not only wreck U.S.-Japanese relations, but also possibly destroy the already fragile myth that the Emperor...
Fighting for time, Kishi summoned two Liberal Democratic chieftains, and got no comfort from them. At 4 o'clock, Kishi told the assembled Cabinet he had decided to ask Eisenhower to postpone his visit to Japan. In obvious relief, the Cabinet endorsed his decision, and it was forwarded to U.S. Ambassador Douglas Mac-Arthur...