80 Years On: Granddaughter Conveys Ex-Wartime PM's Wish for Peace

   Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--A granddaughter of Kantaro Suzuki, who served as Japanese prime minister at the end of World War II, continues to convey his wish for peace through her writings and lectures.
   "Permanent peace, permanent peace," Suzuki said as his consciousness faded just before his death in 1948. The granddaughter, Michiko, 93, has taken over his passion for peace.
   In May 1945, when the defeat of Japan was becoming inevitable, Suzuki told Michiko, then 13, at the prime minister's office to evacuate to Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, after her mother's failed attempt to persuade her.
   "Young people must stay in safe areas. It's because we need you to create the next era," Suzuki told her. Michiko felt his wish to end the war.
   Soon after his inauguration the previous month, Suzuki told family members, "I will be like Pietro Badoglio," the former Italian prime minister who negotiated during the war with the Allied powers for a ceasefire and was criticized as a traitor in his country.

(2025/08/15-17:23)