Almost a century has passed since Japan first entered the world community by concluding a treaty of amity with the United States of America in 1854.

Many of these concepts still impact Japan's political and economic policies. Later years
In 1967 Yoshida was baptized on his deathbed after hiding his Catholicism throughout most of his life. Yoshida retired from the Diet of Japan in 1963.

Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂 Yoshida Shigeru?) KCVO (22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954.