Senjūrō Hayashi

Senjuro Hayashi

Senjuro Hayashi (林 銑十郎 Hayashi Senjūrō, February 23 1876–February 4 1943) was a Japanese politician and the 33rd Prime Minister of Japan from February 2 1937 to June 4 1937.

He was born in Ishikawa Prefecture. Hayashi was a supporter of Sadao Araki, along with General Honjo. He was commander of the Kwantung Army, as Honjo also was. The Toseiha faction within the Imperial Japanese Army scored a victory in January 1934 when General Araki was forced to step down, after the excesses of the Kwantung Army, and his replacement was one of their own, General Hayashi. The struggle between the factions (Toseiha and Kodaha) continued below the surface of the government; and the war in North China carried on apace until February of 1936.

He also promoted Fumimaro Konoye's doctrines, as a "right-winger" amongst the militarists, who approved of the "fiction" of democracy, and the Emperor's role with an "adviser group", againsy "left-winger" radical militarists. The latter, led by Kingoro Hashimoto, wanted a Military Shogunate (under the patronage of Baron Hiranuma).