Editing Shigeru Yoshida (section)

===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}}