On Dec. 10, 1954, Ichiro Hatoyama became prime minister after a long and bitter political struggle with Shigeru Yoshida. In the immediate postwar period, Hatoyama had appeared to be the most promising of the candidates aspiring to head the government. But he was forced to leave the political arena after he was purged by the Occupation forces.
Yoshida reportedly promised that he would eventually hand over the reigns of government to Hatoyama, but the latter fell ill. After the ban on his political activities was lifted, Hatoyama demanded that Yoshida yield the prime ministership as he had pledged to do, but Yoshida refused, saying a sick man could not rule the nation. This triggered a prolonged struggle between the two men. An outraged Hatoyama worked hard to regain his health and, though partly paralyzed, continued to engage in politics.
In 1954, meanwhile, a major scandal involving the shipbuilding industry was uncovered, and the Tokyo Public Prosecutors' Office was set to arrest Eisaku Sato, the then secretary general of the Liberal Party who later became prime minister. But Prime Minister Yoshida ordered Justice Minister Ken Inukai to exercise his powers and prevent Sato's arrest, which he did.