He entered politics after World War I and as a member of the upper house emerged as a leading advocate of popularly based parliamentary democracy and an opponent of the military domination of government. As Prime Minister (1937–39, 1940–41), he strove unsuccessfully to control the political situation and prevent war with the USA, but in October 1941 was forced out of office by his War Minister, Tojo Hideki. He committed suicide in December 1945 when summoned to answer charges of war crimes.