Hitoshi Ashida

Prime Minister of Japan

15 November 1887 Fukuchiyama, Japan

20 June 1959(1959-06-20) (71) Tokyo, Japan

10 March 1948 – 15 October 1948

Japanese politician Hitoshi Ashida (L) during a visit to Israel in 1958, with Golda Meir and the Japanese Ambassador to Israel, Kuniyoshi Negishi Hitoshi Ashida (芦田 均 , Ashida Hitoshi, 15 November 1887 – 20 June 1959) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan in 1948. He was a prominent figure in the immediate postwar political landscape, but was forced to resign his leadership responsibilities after a corruption scandal (Shōwa Denkō Jiken) targeting two of his cabinet ministers.