Leader of the Opposition (Japan)

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 Yoshihiko Noda since 23 September 2024
Style	The Honourable
Inaugural holder	Shigeru Yoshida
Formation	24 May 1947

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

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

• Under the Shōwa Emperor

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)

• Under Emperor Akihito

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)

• Under Emperor Naruhito

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	23 September 2024	1028	Constitutional Democratic Party
	28		Yoshihiko Noda 野田 佳彦 Noda Yoshihiko (b. 1957)	23 September 2024	Incumbent	35	Constitutional Democratic Party