Minister of Defense (Japan)

cabinet minister in Japan

The Minister of Defense (防衛大臣, Bōei Daijin), or Bōei-shō (防衛相), is a member of the Japanese cabinet and is the leader of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

Minister of Defense
防衛大臣
Standard of the Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Gen Nakatani

since 1 October 2024 (2024-10-01)
Ministry of Defense
StyleHis Excellency
Member ofCabinet
National Security Council
Defense Council
Reports toThe Prime Minister
AppointerThe Prime Minister
subject to formal attestation by the Emperor
PrecursorDirector General of the Defense Agency
Formation9 January 2007; 17 years ago (2007-01-09)
First holderFumio Kyuma
DeputyState Minister of Defense
Salary¥20,916,000

The minister of defense is appointed by the Prime Minister and is a member of the National Security Council.

List of ministers of defense (2007–present)

change

  LDP
  DPJ
  Independent

Minister of Defense Term of office Prime Minister
# Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office
1   Fumio Kyuma January 9, 2007 July 4, 2007 176 days Shinzō Abe
2   Yuriko Koike July 4, 2007 August 27, 2007 54 days
3   Masahiko Kōmura August 27, 2007 September 26, 2007 30 days
4   Shigeru Ishiba September 26, 2007 August 2, 2008 311 days Yasuo Fukuda
5   Yoshimasa Hayashi August 2, 2008 September 24, 2008 53 days
6   Yasukazu Hamada September 24, 2008 September 16, 2009 357 days Taro Aso
7   Toshimi Kitazawa September 16, 2009 September 2, 2011 1 year, 351 days Yukio Hatoyama
Naoto Kan
8   Yasuo Ichikawa September 2, 2011 January 13, 2012 133 days Yoshihiko Noda
9   Naoki Tanaka January 13, 2012 June 4, 2012 143 days
10   Satoshi Morimoto June 4, 2012 December 26, 2012 205 days
11   Itsunori Onodera December 26, 2012 September 3, 2014 1 year, 251 days Shinzō Abe
12   Akinori Eto September 3, 2014 December 24, 2014 112 days
13   Gen Nakatani December 24, 2014 August 3, 2016 1 year, 223 days
14   Tomomi Inada August 3, 2016 July 28, 2017 359 days
  Fumio Kishida
(Acting)
July 28, 2017 August 3, 2017 6 days
15
(11)
  Itsunori Onodera August 3, 2017 October 2, 2018 1 year, 60 days
16   Takeshi Iwaya October 2, 2018 September 11, 2019 344 days
17   Tarō Kōno September 11, 2019 September 16, 2020 1 year, 5 days
18   Nobuo Kishi September 16, 2020 August 10, 2022 1 year, 328 days Yoshihide Suga
Fumio Kishida
19
(6)
  Yasukazu Hamada August 10, 2022 September 13, 2023 1 year, 34 days
20   Minoru Kihara September 13, 2023 October 1, 2024 1 year, 18 days
21
(13)
  Gen Nakatani October 1, 2024 Incumbent 63 days Shigeru Ishiba