Fumio Gotō

was a Japanese politician and bureaucrat, and briefly served as interim Prime Minister of Japan in 1936.

Early life Born in Ōita Prefecture, Gotō was a graduate of the Law School of Tokyo Imperial University in 1909. During his early career in the 1920s, he worked in the Home Ministry, and was Director of Administration within the office of the Governor-General of Taiwan.

Political career In 1930, Gotō was appointed to a seat in the House of Peers in the Diet of Japan. He served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries between 1932 and 1934 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Makoto Saitō, and was later Home Minister in the cabinet of Keisuke Okada.

Immediately after the 26 February Incident, Gotō served as acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister Okada was in hiding from his attempted assassins. He was chairman of the Taisei Yokusankai from 1941–1943, and under the administration of Hideki Tōjō, he served as a Minister of State.

Arrested by the American occupation authorities after the surrender of Japan, he was held in Sugamo Prison in Tokyo awaiting prosecution for war crimes, but was released in 1948 without trial. From April 1953 to June 1959, he served as a member of House of Councillors in the post-war Diet of Japan. He was appointed a Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in November 1971.

Awards and decorations

Japanese Court ranks Junior Seventh Rank (22 March 1910) Senior Seventh Rank (20 February 1913) Junior Sixth Rank (20 March 1915) Senior Sixth Rank (20 March 1917) Junior Fifth Rank (21 November 1921) Senior Fifth Rank (10 July 1922) Junior Fourth Rank (1 November 1926) Junior Third Rank (1 June 1932) Senior Third Rank (15 June 1934) Junior Second Rank (13 May 1980)

Decorations

One Silver Cup (29 April 1940)

One Wooden Cup (5 May 1942)

Foreign Grand Officier of the Order of the Dragon of Annam (1 February 1927) Manchukuo National Foundation Commemorative Medal (1 March 1934) Order of the Auspicious Clouds, 1st Class (9 May 1934) Imperial Visit Commemorative Medal (21 September 1935)