Editing Shigeru Yoshida (section)

==Post-war period and premiership==
[[File:The Shidehara Cabinet.jpg|thumb|left|The Shidehara Cabinet, with Yoshida on the far right, front row]]
Following the [[Surrender of Japan|Japanese surrender]] in August 1945, the [[Occupation of Japan|Allied occupation]] of the country began. Yoshida was brought out of retirement to serve as foreign minister in the [[Higashikuni Cabinet|cabinet]] of [[Prince Higashikuni]] after the resignation of [[Mamoru Shigemitsu]] in September 1945. At that point, the main function of the foreign minister was to liaise with the occupation authority: the [[Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers]]. As such, Yoshida came into regular contact with General [[Douglas MacArthur]]. When Prince Higashikuni resigned Yoshida was approached by the [[Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan|Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal]] [[Koichi Kido]] to become prime minister, but he turned him down and suggested [[Kijuro Shidehara]] for the post, who was duly appointed. Yoshida remained foreign minister in the [[Shidehara Cabinet]].{{sfn|Dower|1988|pp=309-310}}

The [[1946 Japanese general election|first post-war election]] in April 1946 brought a plurality of the seats in the Diet to the [[Liberal Party (Japan, 1945)|Liberal Party]] led by Yoshida's old friend [[Ichirō Hatoyama]]. Hatoyama was expected to become prime minister, but was abruptly [[Purge (occupied Japan)|purged]] by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers on the eve of his appointment. Hatoyama approached Yoshida to take his place as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, despite Yoshida not even being a member of the party. Although reluctant, Yoshida eventually accepted, becoming prime minister of Japan on 22 May 1946. In the same month he joined the Liberal Party and was first made chairman of the general council before being formally elected party president four months later.{{sfn|Dower|1988|pp=309-310}}

===First premiership===
[[File:Nihon Kenpo02.jpg|thumb|right|The Constitution of Japan signed by the Emperor, Prime Minister Yoshida and other ministers]]
Yoshida's first cabinet was based on a coalition between the Liberal Party and the [[Japan Progressive Party]] led by former prime minister Shidehara. The cabinet notably included Shidehara as minister without portfolio and [[Tanzan Ishibashi]] as finance minister. Yoshida remained as foreign minister concurrently. The cabinet implemented several reforms based on occupation directives, the scope of which Yoshida personally resisted. Yoshida oversaw the adoption of the post-war [[Constitution of Japan]], which was promulgated on 3 November 1946 and came into effect on 3 May 1947. Yoshida, a warm supporter of the imperial institution, did not believe that the revised constitution fundamentally changed the ''[[kokutai]]''.{{sfn|Finn|1992|p=115}}{{sfn|Finn|1992|pp=125}}

In terms of economic policy, Yoshida and Finance Minister Ishibashi initiated a "priority production system" (傾斜生産方式, ''keisha seisan hoshiki'') designed to increase production of steel and coal as they were essential for reconstruction. This system was based on the theories of Hiromi Arisawa, an economic expert who advised Yoshida.{{sfn|Finn|1992|p=146}}

The cabinet had to face significant social unrest due to the impoverished situation and labour disputes at the time. These issues came to a head when the labour movement called for a [[February 1 General Strike (1947)|general strike]] to take place on 1 February 1947. Yoshida believed that the strike would be an economic catastrophe, which could create the conditions for a communist revolution. The situation was resolved when General MacArthur prohibited the strike before it could take place on January 31. Afterwards, MacArthur communicated to Yoshida that a new election should be called.{{sfn|Finn|1992|p=136}}{{sfn|Yoshida|Nara|2007|p=187}}

===Opposition===
The election was held in [[1947 Japanese general election|April 1947 election]]. Yoshida himself stood for election for the first time, choosing for his constituency [[Kochi Prefecture]], where his family originated.{{sfn|Yoshida|Nara|2007|p=71}} While Yoshida won his election, a plurality of the seats in the House of Representatives went to the [[Japan Socialist Party]]. Yoshida was approached by [[Tetsu Katayama]] and [[Suehiro Nishio]], respectively chairman and secretary general of the Socialist Party, about including the Liberal Party in a [[grand coalition]], but he declined because he considered the left-wing of the Socialist Party too close to the communists. The Socialists instead formed a coalition with only the [[Democratic Party (Japan, 1947)|Democratic Party]], which had been formed by merging the Progressive Party with defectors led by [[Hitoshi Ashida]] from the Liberal Party, and the [[National Cooperative Party]]. Yoshida was succeeded by [[Tetsu Katayama]] on 24 May 1947.{{sfn|Finn|1992|p=149}}{{sfn|Finn|1992|p=162}}

Yoshida and his party thus entered the opposition. Yoshida used this time to strengthen his party and consolidate his leadership. Shortly after the [[Katayama Cabinet]] was replaced by the [[Ashida Cabinet]] in March 1948, the Liberal Party formed into the [[Democratic Liberal Party (Japan)|Democratic Liberal Party]] by merging with a breakaway group led by Shidehara from the Democratic Party.{{sfn|Finn|1992|pp=169-170}}