Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni (東久邇 稔彦
December 3,
1887 -
January 26,
1990) was the 43rd
Prime Minister of Japan from
August 17,
1945 to
October 9,
1945, a period of 54 days. He was born in
Kyoto. Higashikuni was an imperial family member (he married a daughter of the Emperor
Meiji)and was the only member of the imperial family to head a cabinet.
Before his tenure as Prime Minister, Higashikuni was a Major General, and in 1937, was named Chief of Aviation. He is mainly remembered today as Japan's first postwar Prime Minister.