The genro were senior imperial advisers whose informal standing gave them influence over appointments and foreign policy. They recommended prime ministers to the emperor, with the choice eventually falling to the last publicly acknowledged member, Saionji Kinmochi. Saionji had represented Japan at the Paris Peace Conference, supported the racial-equality proposal, favored relations with Britain and the United States, and opposed both army dominance and the Tripartite Pact. His death in 1940 removed a publicly recognized intermediary who could challenge ministers without requiring direct imperial intervention. The possibility of less public successors is a separate, explicitly disputed interpretation.
Chapter · 30:18-38:29
The genro as Japan's imperial kingmakers
The genro supplied trusted imperial advice and helped select prime ministers outside the written constitution.