Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)

Chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Emblem of the Government of Japan

Incumbent
Takeshi Iwaya

since 1 October 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Style| His Excellency
Member of| Cabinet of Japan
National Security Council
Reports to| Prime Minister of Japan
Appointer| Prime Minister
subject to formal attestation by the Emperor
Formation| December 22, 1885; 139 years ago (1885-12-22)
Deputy| State Minister of Foreign Affairs
Salary| ¥20,916,000

The minister for foreign affairs (外務大臣, Gaimu Daijin) is a member of the cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister is responsible for implementing Japan's foreign policy and is also a statutory member of the National Security Council. The minister is nominated by the prime minister and is appointed by the emperor of Japan.

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 foreign relations. The recent efforts of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe to establish a more interventionist foreign policy have also heightened the importance of the position.

The current minister for foreign affairs is Takeshi Iwaya, who took office on October 1, 2024.[1]

## List of ministers for foreign affairs

[edit]

* 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)

[edit]

# | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office

|
|
|
|

1 |  | Count Inoue Kaoru | December 1885 | September 1887
– |  | Count Itō Hirobumi | September 1887 | February 1888
2 |  | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu
(1st) | February 1888 | December 1889
3 |  | Viscount Aoki Shūzō
(1st) | December 1889 | May 1891
4 |  | Viscount Enomoto Takeaki | May 1891 | August 1892
5 |  | Viscount Mutsu Munemitsu | August 1892 | May 1896
6 |  | Marquis Saionji Kinmochi
(1st) | May 1896 | September 1896
2 |  | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu
(2nd) | September 1896 | November 1897
7 |  | Baron Nishi Tokujirō | November 1897 | January 1898
2 |  | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu
(3rd) | January 1898 | June 1898
3 |  | Viscount Aoki Shūzō
(2nd) | June 1898 | October 1900
8 |  | Katō Takaaki
(1st) | October 1900 | June 1901
9 |  | Sone Arasuke | June 1901 | September 1901
10 |  | Baron Komura Jutarō
(1st) | September 1901 | January 1906
8 |  | Katō Takaaki
(2nd) | January 1906 | March 1906
6 |  | Marquis Saionji Kinmochi
(2nd) | March 1906 | May 1906
11 |  | Count Hayashi Tadasu | May 1906 | July 1908
12 |  | General Viscount Terauchi Masatake
(1st) | July 1908 | August 1908
10 |  | Marquis Komura Jutarō
(2nd) | August 1908 | August 1911
13 |  | Viscount Uchida Kosai
(1st) | August 1911 | December 1912
14 |  | Prince Katsura Tarō | December 1912 | January 1913
8 |  | Baron Katō Takaaki
(3rd) | January 1913 | February 1913
15 |  | Baron Makino Nobuaki | February 1913 | April 1914
8 |  | Baron Katō Takaaki
(4th) | April 1914 | August 1915
2 |  | Count Ōkuma Shigenobu
(4th) | August 1915 | October 1915
16 |  | Viscount Ishii Kikujirō | October 1915 | October 1916
12 |  | Marshal Count Terauchi Masatake
(2nd) | October 1916 | November 1916
17 |  | Viscount Motono Ichirō | November 1916 | April 1918
18 |  | Baron Gotō Shinpei | April 1918 | September 1918
13 |  | Count Uchida Kosai
(2nd) | September 1918 | 2 September 1923
19 |  | Admiral Count Yamamoto Gonnohyōe | 2 September 1923 | 19 September 1923
20 |  | Baron Ijuin Hikokichi | September 1923 | January 1924
21 |  | Baron Matsui Keishirō | January 1924 | June 1924
22 |  | Baron Kijūrō Shidehara
(1st) | June 1924 | April 1927
23 |  | Baron Tanaka Giichi | April 1927 | July 1929
22 |  | Baron Kijūrō Shidehara
(2nd) | July 1929 | December 1931
24 |  | Inukai Tsuyoshi | December 1931 | January 1932
25 |  | Kenkichi Yoshizawa | January 1932 | May 1932
26 |  | Admiral Viscount Saitō Makoto | May 1932 | July 1932
13 |  | Count Uchida Kosai
(3rd) | July 1932 | September 1933
27 |  | Kōki Hirota
(1st) | September 1933[a] | April 1936
28 |  | Hachirō Arita
(1st) | April 1936 | February 1937
29 |  | Senjuro Hayashi | February 1937 | March 1937
30 |  | Naotake Satō | March 1937 | June 1937
27 |  | Kōki Hirota
(2nd) | June 1937 | May 1938
31 |  | General Kazushige Ugaki | May 1938 | September 1938
32 |  | Prince Fumimaro Konoe | September 1938 | October 1938
28 |  | Hachirō Arita
(2nd) | October 1938 | January 1939
33 |  | General Nobuyuki Abe | January 1939 | August 1939
34 |  | Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura | August 1939 | January 1940
28 |  | Hachirō Arita
(3rd) | January 1940 | July 1940
35 |  | Yōsuke Matsuoka | July 1940 | July 1941
36 |  | Admiral Teijirō Toyoda | July 1941 | October 1941
37 |  | Shigenori Tōgō
(1st) | October 1941 | September 1942
38 |  | General Hideki Tōjō | 1 September 1942 | 17 September 1942
39 |  | Masayuki Tani | September 1942 | April 1943
40 |  | Mamoru Shigemitsu
(1st) | April 1943 | April 1945
41 |  | Admiral Baron Kantarō Suzuki | April 1945 | April 1945
37 |  | Shigenori Tōgō
(2nd) | April 1945 | August 1945
40 |  | Mamoru Shigemitsu
(2nd) | August 1945 | September 1945

### Postwar Japan (1945–present)

[edit]

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  | 145  |  | Shigeru Ishiba

## See also

[edit]

* Foreign minister
* Foreign policy of Japan

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Appointed as Prime Minister during the tenure.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kishida Appointing, New Foreign Minister (6 November 2021). "Kishida set to tap former education minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to be Japan's top diplomat". The Japan Times. Kyodo Staff News. Retrieved 6 May 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Minister's Profile at Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

* v
* t
* e

Foreign Ministers of Japan

* Inoue
* Itō
* Ōkuma (1st)
* Aoki (1st)
* Enomoto
* Mutsu
* Saionji (1st)
* Ōkuma (2nd)
* Nishi
* Ōkuma (3rd)
* Aoki (2nd)
* Katō (1st)
* Sone
* Komura (1st)
* Katō (2nd)
* Saionji (2nd)
* T. Hayashi
* Terauchi (1st)
* Komura (2nd)
* Uchida (1st)
* Katsura
* Katō (3rd)
* Makino
* Katō (4th)
* Ōkuma (4th)
* Ishii
* Terauchi (2nd)
* Motono
* Gotō
* Uchida (2nd)
* Yamamoto
* Ijuin
* Matsui
* Shidehara (1st)
* G. Tanaka
* Shidehara (2nd)
* Inukai
* Yoshizawa
* Uchida (4th)
* Saitō
* Hiroda
* Arita
* S. Hayashi
* N. Satō
* Hirota
* Ugaki
* Arita
* N. Abe
* K. Nomura
* Arita
* Matsuoka
* Toyoda
* S. Tōgō (1st)
* Tōjō
* Tani
* Shigemitsu (1st)
* S. Tōgō (2nd)
* Shigemitsu (2nd)
* K. Suzuki
* Yoshida (1st)
* Ashida
* Yoshida (2nd)
* Shigemitsu (3rd)
* Kishi
* Fujiyama
* Kosaka
* Ōhira
* Shiina
* Miki
* Aichi
* Fukuda
* Ōhira
* Kimura
* Miyazawa
* Kosaka
* Hatoyama
* Sonoda
* Okita
* M. Ito
* Sonoda
* Sakurauchi
* S. Abe
* Kuranari
* Uno
* Mitsuzuka
* Nakayama
* Watanabe
* Mutō
* Hata
* Kakizawa
* Y. Kōno (1st)
* Ikeda
* Obuchi
* Kōmura (1st)
* Y. Kōno (2nd)
* M. Tanaka
* Koizumi
* Kawaguchi
* Machimura (1st)
* Asō
* Machimura (2nd)
* Kōmura (2nd)
* Nakasone
* Okada
* Maehara
* Matsumoto
* Genba
* Kishida
* T. Kono
* Motegi
* Hayashi
* Kamikawa
* Iwaya

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