Editing Hitoshi Ashida (section)

==Early life and education==
[[File:Hitoshi Ashida 1931.jpg|left|thumb|Hitoshi Ashida as diplomat in 1931]]
Ashida was born in [[Fukuchiyama, Kyoto]], the second son of politician and banker Shikanosuke Ashida.<ref>{{Cite web |title=国会会議録検索システム |url=https://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/#/detail?minId=SENTAKU%2fsyugiin%2f032%2f0512%2f03206240512002a.html |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=National Diet of Japan}}</ref> His father had been in the [[House of Representatives (Japan)|House of Representatives]] and served as director of Nōkō Bank. His grandfather was landed magnate and village headman (''[[nanushi]]'') Jizaemon Ashida.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Record of members of the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly 京都府議会歴代議員録 |publisher=京都府議会 |others=京都府議会事務局 |year=1961 |pages=889–890}}</ref>

He studied French civil law at [[Tokyo Imperial University]]. After graduation, he worked in the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] for twenty years.