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Judicial official, statesman. Born in Okayama, the son of a samurai of the Tsuyama Clan. In 1888, he graduated from the Law College of Tokyo Imperial University. After serving as director of Tokyo Kosoin (high court), public prosecutor of the Supreme Court, director of Minkei-kyoku (civil affairs and criminal affairs bureau) of the justice ministry, and other posts, he became Vice justice minister in 1911. In 1912, he became public prosecutor general and vice-chairman of the Provisional Legislative Council in 1919. In 1921, he became chief of the Supreme Court. In 1923, he became justice minister in the second Yamamoto cabinet. In the following year, he was selected as a member of the House of Peers by Imperial command, and appointed as privy councillor. In addition, from that year, he advocated reactionary Japanism, and presided over the Kokuhonsha.
Later, he successively was vice-chairman of the Privy Council and later its chairman. He became prime minister in 1939. After World War II, he was sentenced to imprisonment for life as a class-A war criminal.
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Hiranuma, Kiichiro 
