Born in Osaka, Suzuki graduated from the Naval Academy and Staff College and served in the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars.

After the Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July, which called for Japan's unconditional surrender, Suzuki dismissed it with the word mokusatsu.

On 14 August, Suzuki attended the conference at which Emperor Hirohito made the decision to surrender over his divided cabinet.

During the pivotal Battle of Tsushima, Suzuki was commander of Destroyer Division 4 under the IJN 2nd Fleet, which assisted in sinking the Russian battleship Navarin.

[4] After serving as Chief of Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff from 15 April 1925 to 22 January 1929, he retired and accepted the position as Privy Councillor and Grand Chamberlain from 1929 to 1936.

On 7 April 1945, Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso resigned and Suzuki was appointed to take his place at the age of seventy-seven.

Prime Minister Suzuki contributed to the final peace negotiations with the Allied Powers in World War II.

This went strongly against the military faction of the cabinet, who desired to continue the war in hopes of negotiating a more favorable peace agreement.