Kan Abe

Kan Abe (安倍 寛, Abe Kan, April 29, 1894 – January 30, 1946) was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946. He is the father of former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe and the grandfather of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.

Kan Abe 安倍 寛
Born	(1894-04-29)April 29, 1894 Nagato, Empire of Japan
Died	January 30, 1946(1946-01-30) (aged 51) Tokyo, Occupation of Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Politician
Years active	1928 to 1946
Spouse(s)	Shizuko Hondō
Children	Shintarō Abe
Relatives	Shinzō Abe (grandson)

Kan Abe and his wife Shizuko

Born into a family of brewers of soy sauce and sake who were landlords in the area of Heki (now part of the city of Nagato) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, he graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, the predecessor of the University of Tokyo.

Abe stood as a Seiyūkai Party candidate in the February 1928 general election but lost; he was appointed village mayor of Heki in 1933 and later served in the Yamaguchi prefectural assembly. He was elected to the House of Representatives as an independent candidate in the February 1937 general election. He earned the nickname "New Shōin" or "Shōwa Shōin" in honor of the earlier leader from Yamaguchi, Yoshida Shōin.[1]

In the 1942 general election, he ran on a platform opposing the militarist government under Hideki Tojo, which had by this time taken away most powers from the Diet. The Tojo cabinet had attempted to block antiwar candidates from running through a registration system, notwithstanding which Abe won a Diet seat, which he used for an attempt to oust Tojo and end World War II. Abe was assisted in this effort by Takeo Miki, who became prime minister after the war.[2]

Abe died of a heart attack in January 1946 while preparing to run in the first postwar general election.