Who Was Uesugi Yōzan- the Leader President Kennedy Admired

Article written by Yoshiaki Maekawa

For example, imagine you were thinking of leaving your hometown to start a new life in another country. What would motivate you? Many people feel admiration for the lifestyle of that new country and imagine themselves living there. Before deciding to move, you might talk to someone familiar with the country, do your own research, study its history and culture, and grow to like it—eventually leading to your decision to relocate.

So, what sparked your admiration for Japan?

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States—known to every American—was one such American who admired Japan as a politician. When he took office, a Japanese journalist asked him, “Which Japanese politician do you respect the most?” Kennedy answered, “Uesugi Yōzan.”

Even Many Japanese Don’t Know Much About Uesugi Yōzan

Kennedy’s famous inaugural statement—
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
—actually reflects the ideas of Uesugi Yōzan.

Uesugi Yōzan became the lord of the Yonezawa Domain (in present-day Yamagata Prefecture) in 1761 at just ten years old. At the time, Yonezawa was one of the poorest domains in Japan. Its finances had collapsed, and the people were suffering. It was the equivalent of being in the middle of a severe economic depression.

When President Kennedy was inaugurated, the United States was also experiencing a serious recession. By quoting Yōzan’s philosophy, Kennedy was likely trying to convey his determination to unite the nation and revive the country.

If you ask people today about Japanese culture, you might hear answers like anime, samurai, martial arts, or Japanese cuisine. It is well known that President Theodore Roosevelt was deeply interested in Bushidō and recommended Nitobe Inazō’s Bushidō to his aides. However, it is rare to find someone like Kennedy, who extended his interest to a local political leader from a poor region in the Edo period.

Uesugi Yōzan taught the philosophy known as “the three forms of assistance.” It is likely this idea that deeply impressed Kennedy.

• Self-help (自助): Helping oneself
• Mutual help (互助): Neighbors and communities helping one another
• Public help (扶助): Assistance from the government

This philosophy may be fading today, but I believe it is one of the foundations that helped Japan develop as a nation. Even now, this mindset lives on within many Japanese people. The comfort and harmony people feel in Japan may come precisely from this way of thinking.

Why not take this opportunity to explore the roots of the Japanese spirit yourself?

Finally, here is a famous saying by Uesugi Yōzan:

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If something does not succeed, it is because a person has not truly tried.”