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Minister of Defense (Japan)

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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, the executive department of the Japanese Armed Forces. The minister of defense’s position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the Prime Minister of Japan, who is the commander-in-chief.

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. The current Minister of Defense is Gen Nakatani, who took office on October 1, 2024.

History

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On 26 December 2007, the Government of Japan made the decision to reform its Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense in the expectation to have a far-reaching effect on Japan's future military development.[1] The defense policy that has been pursued by Japan is based on the "Basic Policy for National Defense", which was adopted by the Cabinet in May 1957.[2] Japan's main goal of national defense is the prevention of indirect as well as direct aggression from outside enemies.

The Japanese government reformed the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense with a ceremony that was attended by then Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and the then-new Minister of Defense Fumio Kyuma. The creation of the Ministry of Defense was in conjunction with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's continued efforts to ensure a stronger image of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The bill in which to upgrade the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense was approved by the House of Representatives (lower house) in November 2006, and the House of Councillors (upper house) in mid-December 2006. Minister Kyuma personally attended a session in the House of Councillors and gave a speech after the bill was approved.[3]

In light of the Defense Agency being transformed into the Ministry of Defense, the JSDF was given the responsibilities of international operations, disaster relief and peacekeeping within the overseas locations.

On 11 September 2019, Taro Kono became the first high profile 'prime minister-ready' politician to head the Ministry of Defense. He has the strongest LDP factional backing of any defense minister thus far. His social media following is second only to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He's a leading candidate for post-Abe premiership. Kono previously held the prominent role of foreign minister.[4]

Chain of command

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  • 1. Prime Minister
  • 2. Minister of Defense
  • 3. Chief of Staff, Joint Staff

Structure

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The Commander-in-Chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), who does not formally constitute a uniformed military, is the Prime Minister. The Emperor of Japan is a constitutional monarch who does not have political or military authority over the JSDF; that authority rests with the Prime Minister. However, it is important to note that the Emperor formally appoints the Prime Minister to office. The Minister of Defense is responsible for the organization and formulating the national security policy. The budget request is drafted by the Ministry of Finance and making its own legislative proposals to the National Diet.

The Minister of Defense is advised on every concern related to the duties of the Japan Self-Defense Forces by the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff.

List of ministers of defense (2007–present)

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  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 57 days Shigeru Ishiba

Allied occupation of Japan

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Following the end of World War II, the Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan were disbanded and US forces took control. From 1950 to 1952, the National Police Reserve led by Minister of State Takeo Ōhashi was formed. It was renamed as the National Safety Force in 1952. In 1952, the Coastal Safety Force, the waterborne counterpart of the National Police Reserve, was founded and led by the Commissioner of the Coastal Safety Force (保安庁長官) Tokutarō Kimura.

Directors general of the Defense Agency

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These are the directors general of the Defense Agency. It is the predecessor of the Ministry of Defense which was established on 9 January 2007.

Ministers with military experience

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Although Article 68 of the Constitution states that all members of the Cabinet must be civilians, former military persons may be appointed Minister of Defense.

See also

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Previous positions that covered the role of the Minister of Defense:

References

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  1. ^ "Japan creates defense ministry". BBC News. December 15, 2006.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "SPECIAL FEATURE | JDF - Japan Defense Focus (No.4) | Japan Ministry of Defense". Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  4. ^ Michael Macarthur Bosack (October 17, 2019). "Taro Kono: A different kind of defense minister". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ministers of Defense of Japan.
  • "Library of Congress Country Studies", JAPAN, The Defense Agency. [1]. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
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