Dwight EISENHOWER (Collection of the Presidential Library and Museum)

Diet building surrounded by demonstrators (by Asahi Shimbunsha). From "Showa Nimannichi no Zenkiroku vol.12"

On 19 January 1960 (Showa35), the KISHI Cabinet signed the new Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, which he said would help correcting the inequality of the 1951 (Showa 26) treaty between Japan and the United States and strengthening Japan's independence. But the signing of the new treaty sparked strong reaction from the opposition camp. House of Representatives lawmaker ISHIBASHI Masashi from the Japan Socialist Party grilled the government at a session of the House of Representatives' special committee on the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Notebooks and manuscripts ISHIBASHI prepared for the question and answer session of the special Diet committee indicated that he had worked hard to build a logical argument and had meticulously collected relevant data and information before the session, including past remarks and comments at the Diet by government representatives. (Notebook New Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (1), Autograph for question and answer at the House of Representatives' special committee on the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (1)).

Confusion continued at the Diet. On 19 May, the ruling party rammed a bill to extend the duration of the Diet session for 50 days through the House of Representatives while its lawmakers were guarded by police officers. The Diet enacted the new Japan-U.S. Security Treaty at its plenary session in the small hours of 20 May. House of Representatives Secretary General SUZUKI Takao was opposed to the idea of deploying police officers at the Diet from the viewpoint of protecting the authority of parliament. In his diary, SUZUKI vividly described the tense atmosphere of the negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties. The description in the diary indicated the degree of SUZUKI's anguish and regret, as Secretary General of the House of Representatives, about the development. (Diary by House of Representatives Secretary General).

Meanwhile, U.S. President Dwight EISENHOWER was planning to visit Japan when the new Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was set to be ratified. The letter presented here is a letter of thanks that EISENHOWER sent to Prime Minister KISHI in appreciation of KISHI's gift to the U.S. President. KISHI earlier presented EISENHOWER with a commemorative cigar case imprinted with the signatures of KISHI, EISENHOWER and the other Japanese and U.S. officials involved in the signing of the new treaty. On 16 June, a day after a student was killed in the demonstration staged at the Diet building in protest against the signing of the new Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the government requested that EISENHOWER's visit to Japan be postponed. But the planned visit was not realized. (Letter from EISENHOWER to KISHI Nobusuke)

In March this year, ASANUMA Inejiro headed the Japan Socialist Party as Chairman and began to play a leading role both within and outside the Diet in blocking the revision to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. Following the Liberal Democratic Party's forcible vote taking on the bill to revise the treaty in the small hours of 20 May that left Diet business paralyzed, the Japan Socialist Party convened a meeting of lawmakers where members decided to resign en masse while demanding the resignation of the KISHI Cabinet and dissolution of the House of Representatives. (Speech autograph in which dissolution of the Diet was demanded)

Mourning over death of ASANUMA Inejiro. From "Tsuukon no Showa"

On 23 June, the day the new Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was ratified, Prime Minister KISHI expressed his intent to step down, followed by the inauguration of the first IKEDA Cabinet on 19 July. On 12 October, Japan Socialist Party Chairman ASANUMA Inejiro was stabbed to death by a right-wing teenager while he was giving a speech at a political event at the Hibiya Public Hall featuring speeches by leaders of the three major parties. The material presented here comprises comments ASANUMA made five days before his death regarding his party's policy measures toward the forthcoming general election. (Comments that Japan Socialist Party Chairman ASANUMA made in Osaka)