Katsuo Okazaki

After attending Daiichi High School, Katsuo Okazaki graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Tokyo Imperial University in 1922. In 1920, he won the national 1,500 metre title in the time of 4:28.2. He already worked for the Foreign Ministry in Paris when he took part in the 5,000 metres at the 1924 Olympics. Subsequently, he held various positions in the Ministry including Consul General in Hong Kong and Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Director of the Research Bureau. Okazaki was a member of the Japanese delegation negotiating the surrender procedure in Manila and participated in the signing ceremony of the surrender document on the Battleship Missouri.

After that, Okazaki was banned from public office for some months but returned to the Foreign Ministry in 1946, serving as Under-Secretary and Director of General Affairs Bureau. In 1949, he was elected as a representative of Kanagawa for the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives and was re-elected three times. He also became president of the Japanese-US company Fuji Bikes.

In 1952, Okazaki was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and two years later signed the Japan-US Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement. However, he was also a controversial figure with his pro-American and anti-Communist statements. He ran the ministry until 1954 and lost his seat in the House of Representatives in 1958. After working as counselor for the Arabian-American Oil Company (later Saudi Aramco) and serving as ambassador to the United Nations (1961-63), he retired from politics.

Personal Best: 5000 – 15:22.2e (1924).