Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

240 • SUZUKI, KANTARO
downward trend in the U.S. economy. The Super 301 law passed by
the U.S. Congress stipulated that after the U.S. Trade Representative
(USTR) wrote a report about trade barriers, it would have to enter
into investigation of a specific country to break these barriers. However,
the Super 301 revived under the presidential directive allowed
only very limited time before picking the specific country. Moreover,
because the revived Super 301 established a 90-day period for intensive
negotiations, it was easier for the U.S. government to put pressure
on the other country to liberalize its market. Other countries
were highly critical of the revived Super 301, viewing it as a U.S.
unilateral measure of trade sanctions that might be in violation of the
World Trade Organization agreement. The earlier Super 301 was effective
in opening up the Japanese market to imports of U.S. super
computers and telecommunications equipment. The revived Super
301 further opened Japan’s market to imports of U.S. automobiles,
automobile parts, insurance, and rice. See also U.S.–JAPAN TRADE
CONFLICTS.
SUZUKI, KANTARO (1867–1948). Kantaro Suzuki, full admiral, was
prime minister of Japan from 7 April 1945 to 17 August 1945. Suzuki
was born in Sakai, Osaka. He graduated from the naval academy and
served in the Sino–Japanese and Russo–Japanese Wars. In 1923,
he was promoted to full admiral. Suzuki intensified preparations to
fight against the Allied forces on the mainland of Japan after the
bloody battle in Okinawa. At the same time, he made every effort to
end the war by negotiating with the Soviet Union with the ultimate
purpose of maintaining Japan’s national polity. When the Allied powers
announced the Potsdam Declaration, he was reported to say, “ignore
it entirely” or “reject” the declaration. However, Suzuki meant
to say, “I will not make any special comment.” The dropping of the
atomic bombs and Soviet entry into the war compelled Japan to accept
the Potsdam Declaration. In December 1945, Suzuki once again
became president of the Council.
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TAFT–KATSURA AGREEMENT (1905). The Taft–Katsura Agreement
was a secret agreement negotiated in July 1905 by U.S. Secre-