Kazuto Ishida

Kazuto Ishida (Japanese: 石田和外; May 20, 1903 – May 9, 1979) was the 5th Chief Justice of Japan (1969–1973). He was a practitioner of kendo. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo.

As an associate justice in the mid-1960s, Ishida penned a dissenting opinion in a Grand Bench decision limiting criminal prosecution of labor leaders. This was a contributing factor to his appointment as Chief Justice by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1968, in an attempt to give the court more conservative leadership at a time when Japan saw massive radical student demonstrations. One of Ishida's final decisions, in 1973, expanded police powers to punish demonstrators.^[1] Ishida's court was the first in a line of conservative Supreme Court benches that continued into the early 21st century.^[2]

After his tenure as Chief Justice, Ishida formed the National Congress to Achieve Legislation of the Gengo System in order to establish a law authorizing the Emperor to determine Japanese era names.^[3]

Ishida was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun and a member of the All Japan Kendo Federation.