Incredibly rare and important Japanese calligraphy scroll by Hirota Koki, the Prime Minister of Japan, and the only civilian executed for war crimes by the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal after World War II. Spectacular signed WW2 military art. He was the Prime minister to Russia. The consignor's grandparents were his neighbors in Hakone Japan. He was negotiating a peaceful surrender with the Americans but wanted the Russians to negotiate for them but the Russians would not relay the message. The Russians wanted all the territory for themselves, as the story goes. He was eventually executed by the Americans. This scroll was given directly to our consignor's great grandfather Koganei in the early 1900s. Yoshikiyo Koganei married Kimiko who was the sister of Ogai Mori. Scroll Approximately 85.4375 x 29.4375 in. Rod Approximately 31.75625 in.