Katayama, Tetsu

Katayama, Tetsu

(tĕt`so͝o kätäyä`mä), 1887–1978, Japanese statesman. He was a founder (1926) of the Social Democratic party. When the party was suppressed by the police, Katayama helped organize (1931) its successor, the Social Mass party. He was forced to retire from prewar politics because of his opposition to the Manchurian IncidentManchurian Incident
or Mukden Incident,
1931, confrontation that gave Japan the impetus to set up a puppet government in Manchuria. After the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), Japan replaced Russia as the dominant foreign power in S Manchuria.
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. After World War II he reentered politics as president of the Socialist party and was prime minister (1947–48) of a coalition cabinet.