Fumimaro Konoe

Prince Fumimaro Konoe
近衞 文麿
Konoe in 1938
Prime Minister of Japan
In office 22 July 1940 – 18 October 1941
Monarch	Shōwa
Preceded by	Mitsumasa Yonai
Succeeded by	Hideki Tōjō
In office 4 June 1937 – 5 January 1939
Monarch	Shōwa
Preceded by	Senjūrō Hayashi
Succeeded by	Kiichirō Hiranuma
Personal details
Born	(1891-10-12)12 October 1891 Tokyo, Japan
Died	16 December 1945(1945-12-16) (aged 54) Tekigai-sō, Tokyo, Japan
Cause of death	Suicide by cyanide
Political party	Imperial Rule Assistance Association (1940–1945)
Other political affiliations	Independent (Before 1940)
Spouse(s)	Konoe Chiyoko (1896–1980)
Alma mater	Kyoto Imperial University
Signature

Prince^[1] Fumimaro Konoe (Japanese: 近衞 文麿, Hepburn: Konoe Fumimaro, often Konoye,^[2] 12 October 1891 – 16 December 1945) was a Japanese politician and prime minister from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1940 to 1941.

1. ↑ Although – in accordance with the system adopted by the Japanese imperial government from the Meiji period through the end of WWII – the official English translation of Konoe's title was "prince", the title of kōshaku (公爵 [ja]) was actually a closer equivalent to "duke".
2. ↑ "KONOE OR KONOYE?". Rafu Shimpo. 2 June 1937. p. 6. Is It Konoe or Konoye? The name of the new Premier of Japan, pronounced with the stress on the second syllable and a definite sounding of the letter 'e' as in 'let', is spelled in English as Konoe, according to the officially recognized Japan Yearbook. The full name is Prince Ayamaro [sic] Konoe. Reference to the Premier as Prince Fumimaro Konoye is not incorrect, however.