Naval officer, statesman. Born in Fukui, the son of a samurai of the Fukui Clan. He graduated from the Naval War College. After serving as director of the Naval Personnel and Fleet Control Bureaus, director-general of the Fleet Control Department, and Vice Minister of Navy, he became an admiral and commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet in 1924. In 1927, he was commissioned Minister of Navy in the Giichi Tanaka cabinet, but in 1929 resigned from that post and became a military councillor. During the London Naval Conference on disarmament in 1930, he showed his skill as a mediator. After serving as the Minister of Navy for the Saito cabinet in 1932, he assumed the office of Prime Minister and Minister of Overseas Affairs concurrently in 1934. During February 26 Incident in 1936, he was assaulted by young army officers, narrowly escaping death. As a senior statesman, he was involved in the negotiations for ending the war. His son-in-law was the postwar statesman Hisatsune Sakomizu.