Tsuneo Matsudaira

was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as the first President of the House of Councillors from 1947 to 1949. He previously served as Ambassador to the United States from 1924 to 1928, to Britain from 1929 to 1936, and Minister of the Imperial Household from 1936 to 1945.

Early life and career Tsuneo Matsudaira was born on 17 April 1877, as the sixth son of Katamori Matsudaira, former daimyo of Aizu. Katamori was a prominent Tokugawa loyalist in the Boshin War, but had been shown clemency and later became a priest. The eldest son Kataharu took over the family headship and became a viscount when the nobility was reorganised in 1884.

After attending Gakushuin and the First Higher School, Matsudaira studied law and politics at Tokyo Imperial University. He graduated in 1902 and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1906 he married Nobuko Nabeshima, the daughter of Marquis Naohiro Nabeshima. It was a particularly prestigious connection as her older sister had married Prince Nashimoto. Rising in the Ministry, Matsudaira became director general of the European and American Affairs Bureau in 1920. He was promoted to Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1923, before being appointed Ambassador to the United States the following year.

He returned to Japan in 1935. In October his second daughter Masako married the heir of Marquis Yoshichika Tokugawa and in December his son Ichiro married the daughter of Prince Iemasa Tokugawa.

Post-war political career When Ichirō Hatoyama, the founder and president of the Liberal Party, was purged on the verge on becoming prime minister following the 1946 general election, Matsudaira was considered as a candidate to replace him, but Shigeru Yoshida was chosen instead.

In 1946 Matsudaira was appointed to the Privy Council, but this body was abolished when the 1947 constitution came into effect. Under the new constitution he was elected in the 1947 House of Councillors election. He formed the Ryokufūkai with other independents and was elected as the first President of the House. He died of a heart attack on November 14, 1949, at the age of 72. His tomb is in Aoyama Cemetery. boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; 1= 1. Matsudaira Tsuneo (1877–1949) 2= 2. Matsudaira Katamori, 9th Lord of Aizu (1836–1893) 3= 3. Kawamura Nagako 4= 4. Matsudaira Yoshitatsu, 10th Lord of Takasu (1800–1862) 5= 5. Komori Chiyoko 6= 6. Kawamura Genbei 7= 8= 8. Matsudaira Yoshinari, 9th Lord of Takasu (1776–1832) 9= 9. Hiramatsu 10= 10. Komori 11= 12= 13= 14= 15= 16= 16. Tokugawa Harumori, 6th Lord of Mito (1751–1805) 17= 17. Maeda Sayama 18= 19= 20= 21= 22= 23= 24= 25= 26= 27= 28= 29= 30= 31=