Leader of the Opposition (Japan)

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The Leader of the Opposition (野党の指導者, Yatō no shidō-sha) is the leader of the largest opposing party to the Japanese government. The role is not an official office.

Leader of the Opposition of Japan
野党の指導者
Incumbent
Kenta Izumi

since 30 November 2021
StyleThe Honourable
Inaugural holderShigeru Yoshida
Formation24 May 1947

Leaders of the Opposition of the State of Japan (1947–present) change

Leaders of the Opposition during the Shōwa period (1947–1989) change

No.

(Terms)

Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party
Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days
1   Shigeru Yoshida
吉田 茂
Yoshida Shigeru
(1878-1967)
24 May 1947 15 October 1948 510 Liberal Party
2   Tetsu Katayama
片山 哲
Katayama Tetsu
(1887-1978)
15 October 1948 16 January 1950 458 Socialist Party
3   Inejirō Asanuma
浅沼 稲次郎
Asanuma Inejirō
(1898-1960)
16 January 1950 19 January 1951 368 Socialist Party
4

(1)

  Mosaburō Suzuki
鈴木 茂三郎
Suzuki Mosaburō
(1893-1970)
19 January 1951 18 January 1953 730 Socialist Party
5

(1)

  Jōtarō Kawakami
河上 丈太郎
Kawakami Jōtarō
(1889-1965)
18 January 1953 27 February 1955 770 Rightist Socialist Party
4

(2-3)

  Mosaburō Suzuki
鈴木 茂三郎
Suzuki Mosaburō
(1893-1970)
27 February 1955 13 October 1955 228 Leftist Socialist Party
13 October 1955 23 March 1960 1623 Socialist Party
3

(2)

  Inejirō Asanuma
浅沼 稲次郎
Asanuma Inejirō
(1898-1960)
23 March 1960 12 October 1960 203 Socialist Party
6   Saburō Eda
江田 三郎
Eda Saburō
(1907-1977)
12 October 1960 6 March 1961 145 Socialist Party
5

(2)

  Jōtarō Kawakami
河上 丈太郎
Kawakami Jōtarō
(1889-1965)
6 March 1961 6 May 1965 1522 Socialist Party
7   Kouzou Sasaki
佐々木 更三
Sasaki Kouzou
(1900-1985)
6 May 1965 19 August 1967 835 Socialist Party
8 Seiichi Katsumata
勝間田 清一
Katsumata Seiichi
(1908-1989)
19 August 1967 4 October 1968 412 Socialist Party
9 Tomomi Narita
成田 知巳
Narita Tomomi
(1912-1979)
4 October 1968 26 September 1977 3279 Socialist Party
10 Ichio Asukata
飛鳥田 一雄
Asukata Ichio
(1915-1990)
26 September 1977 7 September 1983 2172 Socialist Party
11 Masashi Ishibashi
石橋 政嗣
Ishibashi Masashi
(b. 1924)
7 September 1983 8 September 1986 1097 Socialist Party
12
(1)
  Takako Doi
土井 たか子
Doi Takako
(1928-2014)
8 September 1986 7 January 1989 852 Socialist Party

Leaders of the Opposition during the Heisei period (1989–present) change

No.

(Terms)

Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party
Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days
12

(2)

  Takako Doi
土井 たか子
Doi Takako
(1928-2014)
8 January 1989 31 July 1991 934 Socialist Party
13 Makoto Tanabe
田邊 誠
Makoto Tanabe
(1922-2015)
31 July 1991 19 January 1993 538 Socialist Party
14 Sadao Yamahana
山花 貞夫
Yamahana Sadao
(1936-1999)
19 January 1993 9 August 1993 202 Socialist Party
15   Yōhei Kōno
河野 洋平
Kōno Yōhei
(b. 1937)
9 August 1993 30 June 1994 325 Liberal Democratic Party
16   Toshiki Kaifu
海部 俊樹
Kaifu Toshiki
(b. 1931)
30 June 1994 28 December 1995 546 New Frontier Party
17
(1)
  Ichirō Ozawa
小沢 一郎
Ozawa Ichirō
(b. 1942)
28 December 1995 31 December 1997 720 New Frontier Party
18
(1)
  Naoto Kan
菅 直人
Kan Naoto
(b. 1946)
31 December 1997 25 September 1999 633 Democratic Party (1996–1998)
Democratic Party (1998–2016)
19
(1)
  Yukio Hatoyama
鳩山 由紀夫
Hatoyama Yukio
(b. 1947)
25 September 1999 10 December 2002 1172 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
18
(2)
  Naoto Kan
菅 直人
Kan Naoto
(b. 1946)
10 December 2002 18 May 2004 525 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
20
(1)
  Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya
(b. 1953)
18 May 2004 17 September 2005 487 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
21
(1)
  Seiji Maehara
前原 誠司
Maehara Seiji
(b. 1962)
17 September 2005 7 April 2006 202 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
17
(2)
  Ichirō Ozawa
小沢 一郎
Ozawa Ichirō
(b. 1942)
7 April 2006 16 May 2009 1135 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
19
(2)
  Yukio Hatoyama
鳩山 由紀夫
Hatoyama Yukio
(b. 1947)
16 May 2009 16 September 2009 123 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
-   Masatoshi Wakabayashi
若林 正俊
Wakabayashi Masatoshi
(b. 1934)
(Acting)
16 September 2009 28 September 2009 12 Liberal Democratic Party
22   Sadakazu Tanigaki
谷垣 禎一
Tanigaki Sadakazu
(b. 1945)
28 September 2009 26 September 2012 1094 Liberal Democratic Party
23   Shinzō Abe
安倍 晋三
Abe Shinzō
(b. 1954)
26 September 2012 26 December 2012 91 Liberal Democratic Party
24   Banri Kaieda
海江田 万里
Kaieda Banri
(b. 1949)
26 December 2012 14 December 2014 718 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
20
(2)
  Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya
(b. 1953)
14 December 2014 1 October 2016 657 Democratic Party (1998–2016)
Democratic Party (2016–2018)
25   Renhō
村田 蓮舫
Murata Renhō
(b. 1967)
1 October 2016 27 July 2017 299 Democratic Party (2016–2018)
21
(2)
  Seiji Maehara
前原 誠司
Maehara Seiji
(b. 1962)
1 September 2017 23 October 2017 52 Democratic Party (2016–2018)
26   Yukio Edano
枝野 幸男
Edano Yukio
(b. 1964)
23 October 2017 30 April 2019 554 Constitutional Democratic Party (2017-2020)

Leaders of the Opposition during the Reiwa period (2019–present) change

No.

(Terms)

Opposition Leader Term of office Political Party
Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Days
26   Yukio Edano
枝野 幸男
Edano Yukio
(b. 1964)
1 May 2019 30 November 2021 944 Constitutional Democratic Party (2017-2020)
Constitutional Democratic Party
27   Kenta Izumi
泉 健太
Izumi Kenta
(b. 1974)
30 November 2021 Incumbent 848 Constitutional Democratic Party