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Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (外務大臣, Gaimu Daijin) of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since the end of the allied occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on external relations. The recent efforts of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to establish a more interventionistforeign policy have also heightened the importance of the position.
The position is currently held by Takeshi Iwaya.
List of ministers for foreign affairs
- Italics indicates subject served as Acting Foreign Minister.
- Bold indicates subject served concurrently as Prime Minister for a period of time.
Empire of Japan (1885–1945)
Postwar Japan (1945–present)
Liberal (1945)
Imperial Family
Progressive
Socialist
Democratic (1947)
Democratic Liberal
Liberal (1950)
Democratic (1954)
Liberal Democratic
Japan Renewal Party
Japan New Party
Liberal League
Democratic
| Foreign Minister
|
Term of office
|
Prime Minister
|
| #
|
Portrait
|
Name
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
Days
|
| 43
|
|
|
Shigeru Yoshida
|
September 15, 1945
|
May 24, 1947
|
616
|
|
Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni
|
|
|
Kijūrō Shidehara
|
|
|
Shigeru Yoshida
|
| -
|
|
|
Tetsu Katayama
|
May 24, 1947
|
June 1, 1947
|
8
|
|
Tetsu Katayama
|
| 44
|
|
|
Hitoshi Ashida
|
June 1, 1947
|
October 15, 1948
|
502
|
|
|
Hitoshi Ashida
|
| (43)
|
|
|
Shigeru Yoshida
|
October 15, 1948
|
April 30, 1952
|
1293
|
|
Shigeru Yoshida
|
|
|
|
| 45
|
|
|
Katsuo Okazaki
|
April 30, 1952
|
December 10, 1954
|
954
|
| (40)
|
|
|
Mamoru Shigemitsu
|
December 10, 1954
|
November 22, 1955
|
744
|
|
Ichirō Hatoyama
|
|
|
November 22, 1955
|
December 23, 1956
|
|
| -
|
|
|
Tanzan Ishibashi
|
December 23, 1956
|
December 23, 1956
|
0
|
|
Tanzan Ishibashi
|
| 46
|
|
|
Nobusuke Kishi
|
December 23, 1956
|
July 10, 1957
|
199
|
|
|
Nobusuke Kishi
|
| 47
|
|
|
Aiichirō Fujiyama
|
July 10, 1957
|
July 19, 1960
|
1105
|
| 48
|
|
|
Zentaro Kosaka
|
July 19, 1960
|
July 18, 1962
|
729
|
|
Hayato Ikeda
|
| 49
|
|
|
Masayoshi Ōhira
|
July 18, 1962
|
July 18, 1964
|
731
|
| 50
|
|
|
Shiina Etsusaburo
|
July 18, 1964
|
December 3, 1966
|
868
|
|
|
Eisaku Satō
|
| 51
|
|
|
Takeo Miki
|
December 3, 1966
|
October 29, 1968
|
696
|
| -
|
|
|
Eisaku Satō
|
October 29, 1968
|
November 30, 1968
|
32
|
| 52
|
|
|
Kiichi Aichi
|
November 30, 1968
|
July 9, 1971
|
951
|
| 53
|
|
|
Takeo Fukuda
|
July 9, 1971
|
July 7, 1972
|
364
|
| (49)
|
|
|
Masayoshi Ōhira
|
July 7, 1972
|
July 16, 1974
|
739
|
|
Kakuei Tanaka
|
| 54
|
|
|
Toshio Kimura
|
July 16, 1974
|
December 9, 1974
|
146
|
| 55
|
|
|
Kiichi Miyazawa
|
December 9, 1974
|
September 5, 1976
|
646
|
|
Takeo Miki
|
| (48)
|
|
|
Zentaro Kosaka
|
September 5, 1976
|
December 24, 1976
|
100
|
| 56
|
|
|
Iichirō Hatoyama
|
December 24, 1976
|
November 28, 1977
|
339
|
|
Takeo Fukuda
|
| 57
|
|
|
Sunao Sonoda
|
November 28, 1977
|
November 8, 1979
|
710
|
|
|
Masayoshi Ōhira
|
| 58
|
|
|
Saburō Ōkita
|
November 8, 1979
|
July 17, 1980
|
252
|
| 59
|
|
|
Masayoshi Ito
|
July 17, 1980
|
May 18, 1981
|
305
|
|
Zenkō Suzuki
|
| (57)
|
|
|
Sunao Sonoda
|
May 18, 1981
|
November 30, 1981
|
196
|
| 60
|
|
|
Yoshio Sakurauchi
|
November 30, 1981
|
November 27, 1982
|
362
|
| 61
|
|
|
Shintaro Abe
|
November 27, 1982
|
July 22, 1986
|
1333
|
|
Yasuhiro Nakasone
|
| 62
|
|
|
Tadashi Kuranari
|
July 22, 1986
|
November 6, 1987
|
472
|
| 63
|
|
|
Sosuke Uno
|
November 6, 1987
|
June 3, 1989
|
575
|
|
Noboru Takeshita
|
| 64
|
|
|
Hiroshi Mitsuzuka
|
June 3, 1989
|
August 10, 1989
|
68
|
|
Sosuke Uno
|
| 65
|
|
|
Taro Nakayama
|
August 10, 1989
|
November 5, 1991
|
817
|
|
Toshiki Kaifu
|
| 66
|
|
|
Michio Watanabe
|
November 5, 1991
|
April 7, 1993
|
519
|
|
Kiichi Miyazawa
|
| 67
|
|
|
Kabun Mutō
|
April 7, 1993
|
August 9, 1993
|
124
|
| 68
|
|
|
Tsutomu Hata
|
August 9, 1993
|
April 28, 1994
|
262
|
|
Morihiro Hosokawa
|
| 69
|
|
|
Koji Kakizawa
|
April 28, 1994
|
June 30, 1994
|
63
|
|
Tsutomu Hata
|
| 70
|
|
|
Yōhei Kōno
|
June 30, 1994
|
January 11, 1996
|
560
|
|
Tomiichi Murayama
|
| 71
|
|
|
Yukihiko Ikeda
|
January 11, 1996
|
September 11, 1997
|
609
|
|
Ryutaro Hashimoto
|
| 72
|
|
|
Keizo Obuchi
|
September 11, 1997
|
July 30, 1998
|
322
|
| 73
|
|
|
Masahiko Kōmura
|
July 30, 1998
|
October 5, 1999
|
432
|
|
Keizo Obuchi
|
| (70)
|
|
|
Yōhei Kōno
|
October 5, 1999
|
April 26, 2001
|
569
|
|
|
Yoshiro Mori
|
| 74
|
|
|
Makiko Tanaka
|
April 26, 2001
|
January 29, 2002
|
278
|
|
Junichiro Koizumi
|
| 75
|
|
|
Junichiro Koizumi
(Acting)
|
January 29, 2002
|
February 1, 2002
|
3
|
| 76
|
|
|
Yoriko Kawaguchi
|
February 1, 2002
|
September 27, 2004
|
969
|
| 77
|
|
|
Nobutaka Machimura
|
September 27, 2004
|
October 31, 2005
|
399
|
| 78
|
|
|
Tarō Asō
|
October 31, 2005
|
August 27, 2007
|
665
|
|
|
Shinzō Abe
|
| (77)
|
|
|
Nobutaka Machimura
|
August 27, 2007
|
September 26, 2007
|
30
|
| (73)
|
|
|
Masahiko Kōmura
|
September 26, 2007
|
September 24, 2008
|
364
|
|
Yasuo Fukuda
|
| 79
|
|
|
Hirofumi Nakasone
|
September 24, 2008
|
September 16, 2009
|
357
|
|
Tarō Asō
|
| 80
|
|
|
Katsuya Okada
|
September 16, 2009
|
September 17, 2010
|
366
|
|
Yukio Hatoyama
|
|
|
Naoto Kan
|
| 81
|
|
|
Seiji Maehara
|
September 17, 2010
|
March 7, 2011
|
171
|
| –
|
|
|
Yukio Edano
(Acting)
|
March 7, 2011
|
March 9, 2011
|
2
|
| 82
|
|
|
Takeaki Matsumoto
|
March 9, 2011
|
September 2, 2011
|
177
|
| 83
|
|
|
Kōichirō Genba
|
September 2, 2011
|
December 26, 2012
|
481
|
|
Yoshihiko Noda
|
| 84
|
|
|
Fumio Kishida
|
December 26, 2012
|
August 3, 2017
|
1681
|
|
Shinzō Abe
|
| 85
|
|
|
Taro Kono
|
August 3, 2017
|
September 11, 2019
|
769
|
|
| 86
|
|
|
Toshimitsu Motegi
|
September 11, 2019
|
November 4, 2021
|
785
|
|
|
Yoshihide Suga
|
| (84)
|
|
|
Fumio Kishida
(Acting)
|
November 4, 2021
|
November 10, 2021
|
6
|
|
Fumio Kishida
|
| 87
|
|
|
Yoshimasa Hayashi
|
November 10, 2021
|
September 13, 2023
|
672
|
|
| 88
|
|
|
Yōko Kamikawa
|
September 13, 2023
|
October 1, 2024
|
384
|
|
| 89
|
|
|
Takeshi Iwaya
|
October 1, 2024
|
Incumbent
|
97
|
|
Shigeru Ishiba
|
Notes
- ↑ Appointed as Prime Minister during the tenure.
Official website
official website
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