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Toshio Shiratori

1887 – 1949

Japanese politician

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About Toshio Shiratori

Lived 1887 – 1949 (aged 61). Toshio Shiratori was a Japanese diplomat, politician and ambassador.

was a Japanese politician who served as the ambassador to Italy (then under Fascist rule) from 1938 to 1940, adviser to the Japanese foreign minister in 1940, and one of the 14 Class-A war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine.

Shiratori served as Director of Information Bureau under the Foreign Ministry from 1929 to 1933. He served as Ambassador to Sweden and non-resident Ambassador to Finland from 1933 to 1936, the Grand Cross of the Royal Swedish Order of the Polar Star granted to him in 1939. He was appointed ambassador to Italy, serving from 1938 to 1940, and became adviser to foreign minister Yōsuke Matsuoka in 1940. He was an advocate of military expansionism, counseling an alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan to facilitate world domination. On 23 May 1942, the Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano wrote in his diary that Shiratori had said that the 'dominion of the world belongs to Japan, the Mikado is the only god on earth, and that both Hitler and Mussolini must become resigned to this reality.'

Shiratori was found guilty of conspiring to wage aggressive war by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in November 1948 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in prison of laryngeal cancer in 1949.

On 7 October 1978, Shiratori was one of fourteen Class-A war criminals controversially enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. A memo from Emperor Shōwa, disclosed in 2006, revealed that he stopped visiting Yasukuni Shrine from 1978 until his death in 1989, because "they even enshrined Matsuoka and Shiratori."

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Tokyo Imperial University, Meiji University Setagaya Junior and Senior High School, First Higher School
Positions held
Member of the House of Representatives of Japan, Ambassador of Japan to Italy
Employers
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Awards
Royal Order of the Polar Star; Order of the Rising Sun; Order of the Sacred Treasure; 2600th National Anniversary Commemorative Medal

People in Toshio Shiratori's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Toshio Shiratori's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Toshio Shiratori?

Japanese politician (1887-1949)

When was Toshio Shiratori born?

Toshio Shiratori was born on 8 June 1887 in Mobara.

When did Toshio Shiratori die?

Toshio Shiratori died on 3 June 1949 in Sugamo Prison.

What was Toshio Shiratori's occupation?

Toshio Shiratori was a diplomat, politician and ambassador.

What nationality was Toshio Shiratori?

Toshio Shiratori was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Toshio Shiratori

· Wikidata: Q717308

· DBpedia: Toshio Shiratori

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Toshio Shiratori. https://biography.guide/toshio-shiratori/

MLA: "Toshio Shiratori." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/toshio-shiratori/.

Chicago: "Toshio Shiratori." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/toshio-shiratori/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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