Deputy Prime Minister of Japan explained

Post:Deputy Prime Minister
Native Name:副総理
Insignia:Goshichi no kiri.svg
Insigniasize:80px
Insigniacaption:Emblem of the Government of Japan
Incumbent:Vacant
Incumbentsince:4 October 2021
Style:Mr. Deputy Prime Minister
Status:Deputy head of government
Member Of:Cabinet
National Security Council
Appointer:The Prime Minister
Termlength:No fixed term
Succession:First
Salary:¥20,916,000
Formation:3 May 1947
Inaugural:Kijūrō Shidehara
Body:Japan

The is the second highest-ranking officer of the executive branch of the government of Japan after the prime minister of Japan, and ranks first in the line of succession to the prime minister. The office of the deputy prime minister is not a permanent position, and exists only at the discretion of the prime minister.

The deputy prime minister is appointed by the prime minister and must be a member of the cabinet, for instance Taro Aso served as Minister of Finance concurrently. Should the prime minister be incapacitated or resign, the deputy prime minister does not automatically succeed to the position, but instead exercises the duties of the prime minister until the National Diet elects a successor. Tarō Asō was the longest-serving deputy prime minister.

This position has been vacant since 4 October 2021.

List of deputy prime ministers of Japan

No.PortraitName
Term of officePartyPortfolioPrime Minister
1Kijūrō Shidehara
幣原 喜重郎

1947

1947
JPPDemobilization BoardYoshida
Office not in use
1947

1947
Katayama
2Hitoshi Ashida
芦田 均

1947

1948
DPForeign Affairs
3Suehiro Nishio
西尾 末広

1948

1948
DPMinister of StateAshida
Office not in use
1948

1948
Yoshida
4
林 譲治

1948

1951
DLP
Health
LP
Minister of State
Office not in use
1951

1952
5Taketora Ogata
緒方 竹虎

1952

1954
LPChief Cabinet Secretary
6Mamoru Shigemitsu
重光 葵

1954

1956
JDP
Foreign AffairsHatoyama I.
LDP
Office not in use
1956

1957
Ishibashi
Kishi
7Mitsujirō Ishii
石井 光次郎

1957

1958
LDPMinister of State
Administrative
Management Agency
Hokkaido
Development Agency

Office not in use
1958

1959
8Shūji Masutani
益谷 秀次

1959

1960
LDPAdministrative
Management Agency
Office not in use
1960

1972
Ikeda
Satō
Tanaka
9Takeo Miki
三木 武夫

1972

1974
LDPMinister of State
Office not in use
1974

1974
10Takeo Fukuda
福田 赳夫

1974

1976
LDPEconomic
Planning Agency
Miki
Office not in use
1976

1980
Fukuda T.
Ōhira
11Masayoshi Ito
伊東 正義

1980

1980
LDPChief Cabinet SecretaryHimself as
Acting
Prime Minister
Office not in use
1980

1986
Suzuki
Nakasone
12Shin Kanemaru
金丸 信

1986

1987
LDPMinister of State
13Kiichi Miyazawa
宮澤 喜一

1987

1988
LDPMinister of StateTakeshita
Office not in use
1988

1991
Uno
Kaifu
14Michio Watanabe
渡辺 美智雄

1991

1993
LDPForeign AffairsMiyazawa
15Masaharu Gotōda
後藤田 正晴

1993

1993
LDPJustice
16Tsutomu Hata
羽田 孜

1993

1994
JRPForeign AffairsHosokawa
Office not in use
1994

1994
Hata
17Yōhei Kōno
河野 洋平

1994

1995
LDPForeign AffairsMurayama
18Ryutaro Hashimoto
橋本 龍太郎

1995

1996
LDPTrade
19Wataru Kubo
久保 亘

1996

1996
SDPFinanceHashimoto
Office not in use
1996

2009
Obuchi
Mori
Koizumi
Abe
Fukuda Y.
Asō
20Naoto Kan
菅 直人

2009

2010
DPJMinister of StateHatoyama Y.
Office not in use
2010

2012
Kan
Noda
21Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也

2012

2012
DPJMinister of State
22Tarō Asō
麻生 太郎

2012

2021
LDPFinanceAbe
Suga
Office not in use
2021
PresentKishida

References