Speaker of the House of Representatives (Japan)

Presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Japan

Speaker of the House of Representatives

衆議院議長
Shūgiin-gichō

Incumbent
Fukushiro Nukaga

since 11 November 2024

House of Representatives
Style| Mr. Speaker (informal)
The Honourable (formal)
Residence| The Speaker’s Official Residence (not in use)
Appointer| The House
Term length| Four years; renewable only if there is a dissolution
Constituting instrument| Constitution of Japan
Formation| November 29, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-11-29)
Deputy| Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives
(衆議院副議長 Shūgiin-fukugichō)
Banri Kaieda
(since 10 November 2021)

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (衆議院議長, Shūgiin-gichō) is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Japan, and together with the President of the House of Councillors, the Speaker is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The Speaker is elected by members of the House at the start of each session, and can serve for a maximum of four years.

The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Fukushiro Nukaga, who took office on 20 October 2023.

## Selection

[edit]

Nancy Pelosi with Former Speaker Tadamori Ōshima at the G7 Brest Parlement

The election of the Speaker takes place on the day of the new session, under the moderation of the Secretary-General of the House.[1] The Speaker is elected by an anonymous vote, and must have at least half of the votes in order to take office. If no one gets over half of the votes, the top two candidates will be voted again, and if they get the same number of votes, the Speaker is elected by a lottery. The Vice Speaker is elected separately, in the same way.[1]

Usually, the Speaker is a senior member of the ruling party, and the Vice Speaker is a senior member of the opposition party. The current Speaker, Hiroyuki Hosoda, is a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, while the Vice Speaker, Banri Kaieda, is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

## Powers and Duties

[edit]

The official residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

According to Chapter III Article 19 of the Diet Law, the Speaker "shall maintain order in the House, arrange its business, supervise its administration, and represent the House".[1]

The Speaker is also authorized to maintain order in the House chambers by exercising police power. Upon the Speaker's request, police personnel are sent by the National Police Agency, and are placed under the Speaker's direction.[1] The Speaker may then order arrest or removal of a member of the House or a visitor.

According to Chapter XIV Chapter 116 of the Diet law, when a member of the House of Representatives acts in a disorderly manner, the Speaker can warn them or make them withdraw their statements. If the member does not obey these orders, the Speaker can forbid the member to speak or make the member leave the chamber until the end of the proceedings. If the chamber goes out of control and becomes over chaotic, the Speaker may also temporarily suspend or adjourn the sitting for the day.[1]

## List of speakers

[edit]

Speaker  | Political party  | Term start  | Term end

|
|
|

Imperial Diet
1890–1947
| Nobuyuki Nakajima
Rep for Kanagawa–5th
(1846–1899) |  | Rikken Jiyūtō | November 26, 1890  | December 25, 1891
| Hoshi Tōru
Rep for Tochigi–1st
(1850–1901) |  | Rikken Jiyūtō | May 3, 1892  | December 13, 1893
| Kusumoto Masataka
Rep for Tokyo–4th
(1850–1901) |  | Dōmei Club | December 15, 1893  | December 30, 1893
| Rikken Kakushintō | May 12, 1894  | June 2, 1894
October 15, 1894  | June 8, 1896
| Kazuo Hatoyama
Rep for Tokyo–9th
(1856–1911) |  | Shimpotō | December 22, 1896  | December 25, 1897
| Kenkichi Kataoka
Rep for Kochi–2nd
(1844–1903) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | May 15, 1898  | June 10, 1898
November 9, 1898  | December 28, 1902
May 9, 1903  | October 31, 1903
| Hironaka Kōno
Rep for Fukushima
(1849–1923) |  | Kenseitō | December 5, 1903  | December 11, 1903
| Masahisa Matsuda
Rep for Saga
(1845–1914) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 18, 1904  | January 19, 1906
| Teiichi Sugita
Rep for Fukui
(1851–1929) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | January 23, 1906  | December 23, 1908
| Sumitaka Haseba
Rep for Kagoshima
(1854–1914) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | December 23, 1908  | September 6, 1911
| Ikuzō Ōoka
Rep for Yamaguchi
(1856–1928) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | December 24, 1911  | March 6, 1914
| Sumitaka Haseba
Rep for Kagoshima
(1854–1914) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 7, 1914  | March 15, 1914
| Shigesaburō Oku
Rep for Kyoto
(1861–1924) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 17, 1914  | December 25, 1914
| Saburō Shimada
Rep for Yokohama
(1852–1923) |  | Rikken Dōshikai | May 17, 1915  | January 25, 1917
| Ikuzō Ōoka
Rep for Yamaguchi
(1856–1928) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | June 21, 1917  | February 26, 1920
| Shigesaburō Oku
Rep for Kyoto–5th
(1861–1924) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | June 26, 1920  | February 16, 1923
| Gizō Kasuya
Rep for Saitama–2nd
(1866–1930) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | February 17, 1923  | January 31, 1924
| Independent  | June 26, 1924  | March 25, 1927
| Shigeru Morita
Rep for Kyoto–1st
(1872–1932) |  | Kenseikai | March 26, 1927  | January 21, 1928
| Hajime Motoda
Rep for Oita–2nd
(1858–1938) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | April 20, 1928  | March 14, 1929
| Mosuke Kawahara
Rep for Saga–2nd
(1859–1929) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 15, 1929  | May 15, 1929
| Zenbē Horikiri
Rep for Fukushima–1st
(1882–1946) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | December 26, 1929  | January 21, 1930
| Ikunosuke Fujisawa
Rep for Miyagi–1st
(1859–1940) |  | Rikken Minseitō | April 23, 1930  | April 13, 1931
| Keijirō Nakamura
Rep for Wakayama–1st
(1867–1937) |  | Rikken Minseitō | December 26, 1931  | January 21, 1932
| Kiyoshi Akita
Rep for Tokushima–2nd
(1881–1944) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 18, 1932  | December 13, 1932
| Kunimatsu Hamada
Rep for Mie–2nd
(1868–1939) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | December 24, 1934  | January 21, 1936
| Kōjirō Tomita
Rep for Kochi–1st
(1872–1938) |  | Rikken Minseitō | May 1, 1936  | March 31, 1937
| Shōju Koyama
Rep for Aichi–1st
(1876–1959) |  | Rikken Minseitō | July 23, 1937  | December 22, 1941
| Kazutami Tago
Rep for Iwate–1st
(1881–1963) |  | Taisei Yokusankai | December 24, 1941  | May 25, 1942
| Tadahiko Okada
Rep for Okayama–1st
(1878–1958) |  | Taisei Yokusankai | May 25, 1942  | April 9, 1945
| Toshio Shimada
Rep for Shimane–2nd
(1877–1947) |  | Taisei Yokusankai | June 8, 1945  | December 18, 1945
| Senzō Higai
Rep for Yamanashi
(1890–1953) |  | Liberal | May 22, 1946  | August 23, 1946
| Takeshi Yamazaki
Rep for Ibaraki
(1886–1957) |  | Liberal | May 22, 1946  | August 23, 1946
National Diet
1947–present
| Komakichi Matsuoka
Rep for Tokyo–2nd
(1888–1958) |  | Socialist | May 21, 1947  | December 23, 1948
| Kijūrō Shidehara
Rep for Osaka–3rd
(1872–1951) |  | Liberal | February 11, 1949  | March 10, 1951
| Jōji Hayashi
Rep for Kochi
(1889–1960) |  | Liberal | March 13, 1951  | August 1, 1952
| Banboku Ōno
Rep for Gifu–1st
(1890–1964) |  | Liberal | August 26, 1952  | August 28, 1952
October 24, 1952  | March 14, 1953
| Yasujirō Tsutsumi
Rep for Shiga
(1889–1964) |  | Kaishintō | May 18, 1953  | December 10, 1954
| Tō Matsunaga
Rep for Saitama–1st
(1887–1968) |  | Democratic | December 11, 1954  | January 24, 1955
| Shūji Masutani
Rep for Ishikawa–2nd
(1888–1973) |  | Liberal Democratic | March 18, 1955  | April 25, 1958
| Nirō Hoshijima
Rep for Okayama–2nd
(1887–1980) |  | Liberal Democratic | June 11, 1958  | December 13, 1958
| Ryōgorō Katō
Rep for Aichi–1st
(1883–1970) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 13, 1958  | February 1, 1960
| Ichirō Kiyose
Rep for Hyogo–4th
(1884–1967) |  | Liberal Democratic | February 1, 1960  | October 24, 1960
December 7, 1960  | October 23, 1963
| Naka Funada
Rep for Tochigi–1st
(1895–1979) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 7, 1963  | December 20, 1965
| Kikuichirō Yamaguchi
Rep for Wakayama–1st
(1897–1981) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 20, 1965  | December 3, 1966
| Kentarō Ayabe
Rep for Oita–2nd
(1890–1972) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 3, 1966  | December 27, 1966
| Mitsujirō Ishii
Rep for Fukuoka–3rd
(1889–1981) |  | Liberal Democratic | February 15, 1967  | July 16, 1969
| Takechiyo Matsuda
Rep for Osaka–5th
(1888–1980) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 3, 1969  | December 27, 1969
| Naka Funada
Rep for Tochigi–1st
(1895–1979) |  | Liberal Democratic | January 14, 1970  | November 13, 1972
| Umekichi Nakamura
Rep for Tokyo–5th
(1901–1984) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 22, 1972  | May 29, 1973
| Shigesaburō Maeo
Rep for Kyoto–2nd
(1905–1981) |  | Liberal Democratic | May 29, 1973  | December 9, 1976
| Shigeru Hori
Rep for Saga
(1901–1979) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 24, 1976  | February 1, 1979
| Hirokichi Nadao
Rep for Hiroshima–1st
(1899–1994) |  | Liberal Democratic | February 1, 1979  | September 7, 1979
October 30, 1979  | May 19, 1980
| Hajime Fukuda
Rep for Fukui
(1902–1997) |  | Liberal Democratic | July 17, 1980  | November 28, 1983
| Kenji Fukunaga
Rep for Saitama–5th
(1910–1988) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 26, 1983  | January 24, 1985
| Michita Sakata
Rep for Kumamoto–2nd
(1916–2004) |  | Liberal Democratic | January 24, 1985  | June 2, 1986
| Kenzaburō Hara
Rep for Hyogo–2nd
(1907–2004) |  | Liberal Democratic | July 22, 1986  | June 2, 1989
| Hajime Tamura
Rep for Mie–2nd
(1924–2014) |  | Liberal Democratic | June 2, 1989  | January 24, 1990
| Yoshio Sakurauchi
Rep for Shimane
(1912–2003) |  | Liberal Democratic | February 27, 1990  | June 18, 1993
| Takako Doi
Rep for Hyogo–2nd
(1928–2014) |  | Socialist | August 6, 1993  | September 27, 1996
| Soichiro Ito
Rep for Miyagi–4th
(1924–2001) |  | Liberal Democratic | November 7, 1996  | June 2, 2000
| Tamisuke Watanuki
Rep for Toyama–3rd
(born 1927) |  | Liberal Democratic | July 4, 2000  | October 10, 2003
| Yōhei Kōno
Rep for Kanagawa–17th
(born 1937) |  | Liberal Democratic | November 19, 2003  | August 8, 2005
September 21, 2005  | July 21, 2009
| Takahiro Yokomichi
Rep for Hokkaido–1st
(1941–2023) |  | Democratic | September 16, 2009  | November 16, 2012
| Bunmei Ibuki
Rep for Kyoto–1st
(born 1938) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 26, 2012  | November 21, 2014
| Nobutaka Machimura
Rep for Hokkaido–5th
(1944–2015) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 24, 2014  | April 21, 2015
| Tadamori Ōshima
Rep for Aomori–3rd
(born 1946) |  | Liberal Democratic | April 21, 2015  | September 28, 2017
November 1, 2017  | October 14, 2021
| Hiroyuki Hosoda
Rep for Shimane–1st
(1944–2023) |  | Liberal Democratic | November 10, 2021  | October 20, 2023
| Fukushiro Nukaga
Rep for Ibaraki–2nd
(born 1944) |  | Liberal Democratic | October 20, 2023  | October 9, 2024
November 11, 2024  | Incumbent

## List of vice speakers

[edit]

Vice speaker  | Political party  | Term start  | Term end

|
|
|

Imperial Diet
1890–1947
| Tsuda Mamichi
Rep for Tokyo–8th
(1829–1903) |  | Taiseikai | November 26, 1890  | December 25, 1891
| Sone Arasuke
Rep for Yamaguchi–4th
(1849–1910) |  | Chuo Club  | May 3, 1892  | August 31, 1893
| Kusumoto Masataka
Rep for Tokyo–4th
(1850–1901) |  | Dōmei Club | November 26, 1893  | December 15, 1893
| Abei Iwane
Rep for Fukushima–2nd
(1832–1916) |  | Independent  | December 18, 1893  | December 30, 1893
| Kenkichi Kataoka
Rep for Kochi–2nd
(1844–1903) |  | Rikken Jiyūtō | May 12, 1894  | June 2, 1894
| Saburō Shimada
Rep for Kanagawa–1st
(1852–1923) |  | Rikken Kaishintō | October 15, 1894  | December 25, 1897
| Hajime Motoda
Rep for Oita–5th (until 1902)
Rep for Oita (since 1902)
(1858–1938) |  | Kokumin Kyōkai | May 18, 1898  | June 10, 1898
November 9, 1898  | December 7, 1902
| Rikken Seiyūkai | December 7, 1902  | December 28, 1902
| Teiichi Sugita
Rep for Fukui
(1851–1929) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | May 9, 1903  | December 11, 1903
| Minoura Katsundo
Rep for Oita
(1854–1929) |  | Kensei Hontō | March 18, 1904  | December 23, 1908
| Koizuka Ryū
Rep for Hyogo
(1848–1920) |  | Rikken Kokumintō | December 23, 1908  | August 21, 1912
| Naohiko Seki
Rep for Tokyo City
(1857–1934) |  | Rikken Kokumintō | August 21, 1912  | December 25, 1914
| Takuzō Hanai
Rep for Hiroshima Prefecture
(1868–1931) |  | Chūseikai | May 17, 1915  | December 26, 1915
| Hayami Seiji
Rep for Hiroshima City
(1868–1926) |  | Chūseikai | December 26, 1915  | January 25, 1917
| Kunimatsu Hamada
Rep for Mie
(1868–1939) |  | Rikken Kokumintō | June 21, 1917  | February 26, 1920
| Gizō Kasuya
Rep for Saitama–2nd
(1866–1930) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | June 29, 1920  | February 17, 1923
| Genji Matsuda
Rep for Oita–7th
(1875–1936) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | February 17, 1923  | January 31, 1924
| Koizumi Matajirō
Rep for Kanagawa–2nd
(1865–1951) |  | Kenseikai | June 26, 1924  | March 25, 1927
| Gohē Matsūra
Rep for Shizuoka–7th
(1870–1931) |  | Seiyūhontō | March 26, 1927  | January 21, 1928
| Ichirō Kiyose
Rep for Hyogo–4th
(1884–1967) |  | Kakushintō | April 20, 1928  | January 21, 1930
| Shōju Koyama
Rep for Aichi–1st
(1876–1959) |  | Rikken Minseitō | April 21, 1930  | December 22, 1931
| Giichi Masuda
Rep for Niigata–4th
(1869–1949) |  | Independent  | December 23, 1931  | January 21, 1932
| Etsujirō Uehara
Rep for Nagano–4th
(1877–1962) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | March 18, 1932  | January 21, 1936
| Tadahiko Okada
Rep for Okayama–1st
(1878–1958) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | May 1, 1936  | March 21, 1937
| Tsuneo Kanemitsu
Rep for Oita–1st
(1877–1955) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | July 23, 1937  | August 31, 1939
| Kazutami Tago
Rep for Iwate–1st
(1881–1963) |  | Rikken Seiyūkai | December 23, 1939  | December 22, 1941
| Sakusaburo Uchigasaki
Rep for Miyagi–1st
(1877–1947) |  | Taisei Yokusankai | December 24, 1941  | June 7, 1945
| Eikichi Katsuta
Rep for Osaka–5th
(1888–1946) |  | Taisei Yokusankai | June 8, 1945  | December 18, 1945
| Kozaemon Kimura
Rep for Shimane
(1888–1952) |  | Progressive | May 22, 1946  | February 15, 1947
| Tomoharu Inoue
Rep for Kagoshima
(1886–1962) |  | Progressive | February 21, 1947  | March 31, 1947
National Diet
1947–present
| Man'itsu Tanaka
Rep for Osaka–4th
(1882–1963) |  | Democratic | May 21, 1947  | December 23, 1948
| Nobuyuki Iwamoto
Rep for Kanagawa–3rd
(1895–1963) |  | Democratic Liberal | February 11, 1949  | August 28, 1952
October 24, 1952  | March 14, 1953
| Hyō Hara
Rep for Tokyo–1st
(1894–1975) |  | Left Socialist | May 18, 1953  | December 15, 1954
| Masamichi Takatsu
Rep for Hiroshima–3rd
(1893–1974) |  | Left Socialist | December 15, 1954  | January 24, 1955
| Motojirō Sugiyama
Rep for Osaka–4th
(1885–1964) |  | Right Socialist | March 18, 1955  | April 25, 1958
| Saburō Shīkuma
Rep for Hokkaido–1st
(1895–1965) |  | Liberal Democratic | June 11, 1958  | December 13, 1958
| Kiyoshi Masaki
Rep for Hokkaido–1st
(1900–1961) |  | Socialist | December 13, 1958  | January 30, 1960
| Takaichi Nakamura
Rep for Tokyo–7th
(1897–1981) |  | Socialist | January 30, 1960  | October 24, 1960
| Tsurumatsu Kubota
Rep for Osaka–4th
(1900–1984) |  | Socialist | December 7, 1960  | June 8, 1961
| Kenzaburō Hara
Rep for Hyogo–2nd
(1907–2004) |  | Liberal Democratic | June 8, 1961  | October 23, 1963
| Isaji Tanaka
Rep for Kyoto–1st
(1906–1987) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 7, 1963  | December 20, 1965
| Sunao Sonoda
Rep for Kumamoto–2nd
(1913–1984) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 20, 1965  | December 27, 1966
February 15, 1967  | November 25, 1967
| Hisao Kodaira
Rep for Tochigi–2nd
(1910–1998) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 4, 1967  | July 16, 1969
| Sensuke Fujieda
Rep for Gunma–1st
(1907–1971) |  | Liberal Democratic | July 16, 1969  | December 2, 1969
| Seijuro Arafune
Rep for Saitama–3rd
(1907–1980) |  | Liberal Democratic | January 14, 1970  | January 29, 1972
| Shirō Hasegawa
Rep for Gunma–2nd
(1905–1986) |  | Liberal Democratic | January 29, 1972  | November 13, 1972
| Daisuke Akita
Rep for Tokushima
(1906–1988) |  | Liberal Democratic | December 22, 1972  | December 9, 1976
| Shōichi Miyake
Rep for Niigata–3rd
(1900–1982) |  | Socialist | December 24, 1976  | September 7, 1979
| Haruo Okada
Rep for Hokkaido–4th
(1914–1991) |  | Socialist | October 30, 1979  | May 19, 1980
July 17, 1980  | November 28, 1983
| Seiichi Katsumata
Rep for Shizuoka–2nd
(1908–1989) |  | Socialist | December 26, 1983  | June 2, 1986
| Shinnen Tagaya
Rep for Fukuoka–2nd
(1920–1995) |  | Socialist | July 22, 1986  | June 2, 1989
| Yoshinori Yasui
Rep for Hokkaido–2nd
(1915–2012) |  | Socialist | June 2, 1989  | January 24, 1990
| Kiichi Murayama
Rep for Kagoshima–2nd
(1921–1996) |  | Socialist | February 27, 1990  | June 18, 1993
| Hyōsuke Kujiraoka
Rep for Tokyo–10th
(1915–2003) |  | Liberal Democratic | August 6, 1993  | September 27, 1996
| Kōzō Watanabe
Rep for Fukushima–4th
(1932–2020) |  | New Frontier | November 7, 1996  | June 2, 2000
| Assembly of Independents  | July 4, 2000  | October 10, 2003
| Kansei Nakano
Rep for Osaka–8th
(born 1940) |  | Democratic | November 19, 2003  | August 8, 2005
| Takahiro Yokomichi
Rep for Hokkaido–1st
(1941–2023) |  | Democratic | September 21, 2005  | July 21, 2009
| Seishirō Etō
Rep for Kyushu PR block
(born 1941) |  | Liberal Democratic | September 16, 2009  | November 16, 2012
| Hirotaka Akamatsu
Rep for Tōkai PR block
(born 1948) |  | Democratic | December 26, 2012  | November 21, 2014
| Tatsuo Kawabata
Rep for Kinki PR block
(born 1945) |  | Democratic | December 24, 2014  | September 28, 2017
| Hirotaka Akamatsu
Rep for Aichi–5th
(born 1948) |  | Constitutional Democratic | November 1, 2017  | October 14, 2021
| Banri Kaieda
Rep for Tokyo PR block
(born 1949) |  | Constitutional Democratic | November 10, 2021  | October 9, 2024
| Kōichirō Genba
Rep for Fukushima 2nd
(born 1964) |  | Constitutional Democratic | November 11, 2024  | Incumbent

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Diet Law of the Constitution of Japan".