Hamaguchi Yuko

(also Hamaguchi Osachi). Born Apr. 1, 1870, in Kochi Prefecture; died July 26, 1931, in Tokyo. Japanese political figure.

Hamaguchi was finance minister from 1924 to 1926 and minister of home affairs in 1927. After the Minseito Party was founded in 1927, he was elected its president. Hamaguchi was prime minister in 1929 and 1930 and again in 1931. His cabinet supported the monopolies during the world economic crisis of 1929–33, violated the rights of the working people, and expanded military production through the rationalization of industry. At the London Naval Conference of 1930 he overrode the opposition of military circles and agreed to limit the number of Japanese cruisers. Hamaguchi was seriously wounded by terrorists in November 1930.